Grandpops, Grandmoms and Sam making sugar plum ring... a Christmas Eve tradition! Delicious as always Christmas morning around the tree!

Christmas Vacation Dinners

I was talking to Brent on the phone tonight re: some possible dinner ideas for over Christmas.  We are looking at a wild game night (pheasant, deer, etc..), pizza night, lamb and duck night.  Nicholas would like to add a movie night.  Would be interested in thoughts/comments/ideas for other "themes".   

World's best Beef Stew

4 servings

2 lbs flat iron steak or tri tip (Cut into 8 pieces)

Preheat oven to 350

Melt 1 T butter and 1 T olive oil in cast iron pot.  Brown meat about 8 min, seasoning with salt and pepper.

Add 1 c finely chopped onion and 1T(at least) finely chopped garlic.  Cook, stirring occassionally and add'l 5 min.

Add 1 T flour.  Mix well to avoid lumps.  Stir in 1 bottle robust red wine.  Add 2 bay leaves, couple sprigs thyme, salt and pepper.  Bring to boil.  

Cover and put in oven.  Cook at least 1 1/2 hrs.  The longer it cooks the "thicker" the gravy.  

Boil 5 oz pancetta in 2 c water for 30 min.  Cut into 1 inch by 1/2 inch pieces.  Combine pieces with 15 cipollini, 15 cremini shrooms and 15 baby carrots.  (We substituted FM carrots and FM oyster shrooms and frozen pearl onions and still fabulous)  Add 1 T olive oil, 1/4 c water and dash of sugar, salt and pepper.  Bring to boil, cover and cook about 15 min till water about gone.  Uncover and cook on high sauteeing until nicely browned, about 4 min.

We serve by putting mashed fingerlings on bottom, then cover with meat and juices, and then veges.  GREAT.  Pairs well with Chateneuf or other full bodied red. Th Au Bon Climat pinot from picadilly tasting this year went well also.   Think hearty.  Slice of pan ancienne is also nice side.

Sweet Potato Idea

We gor some fingerling sweet potatoes at the FM last week.  Prepared them by peeling and then suateeing in 1T olive oil and 1 T butter.  Added S and P, cumin, thyme.  Once they were tender, I added cinnamon and maple syrup.  They were delicious.  I think it could also be done with small chunks of regular sweet potatoes.  

Good Idea

I was talking to Janet Kirker last night about her iphone. She was talking about the camera and she siad she and Tim often use it when out to eat or somewhere drinking wine to take a picture of the bottle label. This saves trying to remember it or find something to write it on/with. Finally a good use for camera phones.

Potatoes Better than the Chicken, Swiss Chard and Homemade Punkin Pie

The potatoes really are better than the chicken!
Both the chicken and the potatoes were from the CU farmers market, swiss chard from the one in GR.

Recipe is from Brian and goes something like this...
Smother the chicken in lots of butter and EVOO, stuff with fresh thyme and rosemary, salt & pepper, and then roast for an hour over the potatoes to catch all the drippin's and crisp up the taters.

The pumpkin pie recipe was from Joy of Cooking. It was delicious, possibly the best I have had... or at least as far as I can remember. The pumpkin was also from the GR market.

We sauteed the chard with bacon and shallots, which was a first time for us, but that was great as well.

PorkCalvados Apple braise

Excellent dinner last night. Cut up pork "stew" meat and braise with onions, garlic, mushroom, etc... in calvados and wine. add apples at the end that stay a bit crunchy. Garnish with toasted almonds to give it extra crunch. Excellent. We served it over spaetzle. The spaetzle had a twist we picked up from our French cook book. After cooking the dough, put it in a skillet with melted butter and suate lightly. Very nice touch. forgot the photos. Pinot was terrific with this. The book also suggests a oaked chardonnay. I think a dry reisling from alsace would also be good. Would highlight the apple more.

Finally some pictures of the progressive dinner.

Can Blau - Red Blend - Montsant -Spain

If you can find this wine, I recommend it very highly. It's 15-17 and excellent. Great boquet, body, finish, etc... for the $$$. Newer appellation, so quality at less cost. I bet it becomes a 30 bottle as the region becomes more well known. Mitolo all over again. Get in NOW!!!

Goat cheese balls

Take and use a cookie dough scooper to make round, quarter sized goat chhese balls. We loved the PFF fresh plain cherve. Roll in a whisked egg and then panko bread crumbs. Fry in about 1" of oil about 30 sec. Serve with honey drizzled on top. Sublime.

More pics from the Prairie Fuits Farm dinner...

Want to find out more about Prairie Fruits Farm? Check out:
http://www.prairiefruits.com/

Prairie Fruits Farm Dinner 10/11/08

Neill, Barb, Brent and Paula enjoyed the dinner on the farm hosted by Prairie Fruits Farm in Urbana, IL. It was super delicious and a lot of fun! Neill was probably the most excited by the time we left. It was a great time that we would all highly recommend. The menu was as follows:

Hors D'oeuvres

• Blue Moon Farm Fennel Beignets
• Eggplant Bruscetta with Arugula Pesto
• Country Cottage Farm lamb meatballs with mint

First Course

Silky winter squash soup with sweet potatoes and maple cream

Second Course

Pasta with Prairie Fruits Farm Provencal Sauce, Triple S Farms Guanciale (pork jowl) and goat's milk ricotta salata

Main Course

Moore Family Farm's Braised Grass-Fed Beef Stew with Creamy Stone-Ground Polenta and Blue Moon Farm Glazed Carrots

Vegetarian: Root vegetable cassoulet with Three Sisters Flagiolet Beans and Tiny Greens Salad

Dessert

Prairie Fruits Farm Organic Apple Upside Down Cake with Goat's Milk Cajeta, Honey Comb and Cheese Assortment

Baked Oatmeal, Wisconsin-Style

Mom found this recipe in the October issue of Midwest Living. Mom, Dad, Brent, Brian and Paula enjoyed some Sat morning after a trip to the Urbana farmers' market. We had it with apples and walnuts, and also frozen raspberries - super delicious!! Mom and dad have also tried with fresh peaches and rapsberries.

1 3/4 c. water
1 c. rolled oats
2/3 c. milk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 c. brown sugar, packed
1 t. baking powder
1 t. ground cinnamon
1/4 t. salt

1. Butter 1 1/2 qt. casserole. In a medium saucepan, bring water to boil. Slowly stir in oats. Simmer, uncovered, 2-3 minutes for quick-cooking oats or 5-7 minutes for regular oats, or until most of the water is absorbed and oats are tender, stirring occasionally.
2. In a small bowl, whisk milk and eggs. In another small bowl, combine brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt; stir into oatmeal. Fold egg mixture into oatmeal mixture and pour oatmeal mixture into prepared casserole.
3. Bake uncovered in 350 degree oven 30-40 minutes or until center is just set and sugar crust forms on the top. Cool 30 minutes. Serve warm with fresh fruit, if you like. Makes 4-6 servings.

1st try pic

scary, huh?









This was Neill's first attempt at posting to the blog! PV

Bike the Barns 2008

Fabulous bike ride in Madison, WI. This is where we ended at a berry farm. Great weather. Beer fest at Quivey's afterwards.


Interested in learning more about Bike the Barns? Check out: http://www.macsac.org/bikethebarns/

Smoked Pork Chops with Gruyere and Stone Ground Mustard

I believe that this was a recipe passed along by CJS. I must say that I was quite impressed at how the tastes come together... salty, tangy, smokey, cheesey, and then to add in the baked squash and apples... the sweet and fruity... it was a flavor explosion.

Let's just say that there were not any leftovers to be found.

I was wondering what type of wine would have gone well with this, because this will definitely be a repeat at the Vargo's.

Mushroom Flat Bread with Goat Cheese and Pesto

We found this great appetizer at one of our favorite local restaurants, Bistro Bella Vita. Kudos to them.

We used 1/2 of a frozen pizza crust from Frabonis, but we have also done this with the pain à l'ancienne recipe.

After dicing (2) 4 oz packages of shitake mushrooms along with a clove of garlic and a shallot, we sauteed until soft.

Baked the flatbread until crisp, smothered in a layer of goat cheese, added the toppings for a few more minutes in the oven to bring everything together, and viola!

Could use a hint of red wine, or possibly soy sauce to spice things up a bit.

Chocolate Crepes with Chocolate Filling and Fresh Rasberries

We found this recipe in an ad in Bon Appetit, or something... can't seem to find it now that I was looking to post it. It was absolutely delicious.

Served with a nice cup of Kenya AA from Alterra Coffee, Milw., WI.

Butternut Squash with Cumin Couscous

We had this Sat. night with mom and dad. It was very good. Kind of mediterranean flavor. Went very well with grilled lamb. Would be enough for a vegetarian meal on its own with a salad. Maybe some bread.

Butternut Squash with Cumin Couscous

1 butternut squash (2 pounds)
2 tablespoons olive oil1 large yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 cup canned diced tomatoes
1/3 cup dark or golden raisins
1 32-ounce container vegetable broth
1 15.5-ounce can chickpeas, drained
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 1/2 cups couscous
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
1/4 cup (1 ounce) almonds, chopped

Halve and peel the squash. Remove the seeds and cut the squash into 1-inch chunks. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes. Add the garlic, cayenne, cinnamon, nutmeg, and 1/2 teaspoon of the cumin and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the squash, tomatoes, raisins, broth, chickpeas, and 1 1/2 teaspoons of the salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes. Uncover and cook until the squash is tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, bring 1 1/2 cups water and the remaining cumin and salt to a boil. Stir in the couscous. Cover, remove from heat, and let stand for 5 to 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Divide the couscous among individual bowls and ladle the squash over the top. Sprinkle with the parsley and almonds.

Yield: Makes 6 to 8 servings
CALORIES 325 (19% from fat); FAT 7g (sat 1g); CARBOHYDRATE 59g; SODIUM 1,178mg; PROTEIN 10g; FIBER 8g; SUGAR 13g

David chopping wood to be used for SLOW COOKING

Hi All- Well, consider this my first post. It may be a stretch, so please don't kick me off, but it is a great video. David, aka Pale Paul B. did a great job splitting these logs. In case of a power outage the Nordrums just might use the woodstove for cooking. Soon I will post more and maybe even a famous scone recipe. We Alaskan Schurter's will have to also post some fresh milk favorites-- yougurt and cream cheese to be sure. Craig

Goat cheese nachos

Wed night we had goat cheese nachos for dinner. Recipe was from old issue of Rachel Ray. Interesting and tasty I thought. No meat. Instead you make a mixture of beans, onion, cumin, cayenne, and something elese I can't remember. We added some peppers form the garden. You cook this about 5 min and then put half of the mixture in the food processor. Once pureed, add it back to the other half so you get some creamy, some chunky. The goat cheese is microwaved with heavy cream to make a white cheese "sauce". We also make some guacamole and opened a jar of salsa. Good, but the bean mixture was a bit thick so hard to eat without using a utensil to put the right amount on a nacho. Not sure how it might be thinned. With meat there is that fat to keep it "looser" but the bean really thicken up. Overall, like it, would make it again, and the Shiner Bock was a good beverage choice. Also, the peppers added some spice. I think it would be pretty bland without it.

Prairie Fruit Farm Dinner

Christine and I are going to the Dinner on the Farm tomorrow. Here is the menu:

This late September meal features late summer and fall vegetables and some of our organic apples and pears.
Hors d'oeuvres
Ø Moore Family Farm Polenta Crostini with Fresh Chevre and Dried Heirloom Tomatoes
Ø Mill Creek Shitake Mushroom Flatbread Pizza with Melted Moonglo Goat Cheese
Ø Fresh Melon and Triple S Farms Ham Canapes
First Course
Prairie Fruits Farm Heirloom Tomato Bisque with Little Bloom on the Prairie Goat Cheese Toasts
Second Course
Blue Moon Farm's Arugula Salad with our organic pears, shaved leeks, Krotovina and Jarrell Family Walnut Vinaigrette
Main Course
Moore Family Farm's pasture- raised Chicken braised in Illinois red wine with Jostaberry Relish, Blue Moon Farm's Organic Fingerling Potato mash and Kohlrabi
Dessert
Moore Family Farm's Cornmeal Crepes stuffed with fresh Goat's Milk Ricotta, Carmelized apples and Honey Ice Cream

It is a BYOB since they do not have a liquor license. I have a very nice Burgundy I am leaning towards to go with teh mushrooms, polenta, tomates and think it will be ok with chicken b/c of the red wine braise. Any thoughts are welcome on alternatives.

Website is www.prairiefruits.com. The menus are posted about 10 days in advance.

Progressive Dinner Appetizers

Pictures will have to be downloaded later, but I have some time to write. We did the appetizer portion of hte dinner. We had mushroom and goat cheese crostini, beef canapes, bleu cheese walnut turnovers, antipasta plate, sesame pork, tomatoes with bleu cheese dressing, crab cakes with honey mustard sauce. We have served at Christmas eve the crostini and crab cakes so I won't mention those much. Both were well received. Everyone knows about the tomatoes. For the beef canapes, I got the butt end of a tenderloin and roasted it in the oven. We sliced it very thin and served it on sliced baguettes, with a mayo-mustard dressing and carmelized onions. I would put this as ok. The tenderloin cooked on the frill was far superior in taste and the baguette was probably not sliced thin enough. Just not the best way to serve tenderloin. IMO, perhaps better with a flank steak or something with a bit more flavor to it. The bread, opnions and sauce dominated the flavor. The turnovers were good. Basic pastry crust rolled out and cut into 3" circles. Filled with mixture of walnuts, bleu cheese and carmelized onions(leftover filling was tremendous on homemade pizza). These were served at room temperature, but also tasted hot. They were good, perhaps a bit dry. These and the beef came from the Joy of cooking. The antipasta tray was very neutral b/c the group coming is not particularly "adventuresome" so I had very mild, group friendly cheeses, olives, peppadews(love those things) and sopressata and smoked ham. I would say the sesame pork was probably my favoite. It marinated in garlic, soy sauce, olive oil and something else for a couple hours. After marinating, it is rolled in honey, then sesame seeds, then roasted in the oven. Slice it thin after cooling, serve at room temp. There was a sauce similar to the maridade but with greeen onion added. Used pork tenderloins. Liked this alot as the meat was cooked just right and the flavor was good. Found the recipe on the internet. Drinks served included vodka lemonades, Shiner Bock, Sunset Wheat, a New Zealand beer, Austrailian Shiraz blend that I found unremarkable but was well received b/c more fruity than dry, and a very good vouvray. Hopefull I can find the label to pass that along. It was $10 and I thought very worth the moeny and a white I would certainly get again. Hint of sweetness without being overwhelming.

The Northern Schurter's Rack of Lamb

Lamb from Barb acquired from the U of I- this was so good! Oven baked with a butter/garlic/parsley/salt glaze and then a yummy pan sauce made from drippings, onion, garlic, Marlborough region wine, accompanied by potatoes, broccoli and onion mix baked in coconut oil, and corn on the cob (Craig was unimpressed with the corn quality for sure)! I'll try to post a picture of the little carnivores...

Broccoli Romanesco

Who else planted this? I know BT did - Mom, did you too? Has anyone else's done anything? Ours grew into normal-looking broccoli plants, but never did anything beyond that. I thought maybe they would just need more time, but still nothing. I don't know if they needed some sort of special treatment (fertilizer, pollinating, etc.), but I am pretty disappointed. My regular broccoli last year did fantastically, but this has really been a pooper. No wonder it is a heirloom - it never blooms... ha ha ha - just kidding! (the pic is from a head we got at the FM last year)

Linguine with Squash, Bacon & Goat Cheese

We made BT's recipe of Linguine with Squash, Bacon & Goat cheese last night for dinner. Our butternut squash was only so-so, so it wasn't as good as I remember it from last year. We will have to try it again a little later in the season and see if we can't get a better butternut. The recipe was from the Christmas recipe exchange last year - are we going to do that again this year? I think we should... especially with Craig and Steph coming.

2008 Gardens

9/14/08--We made 7 quarts of Tomato Sauce with the bushel of tomatos from BTS' garden--vonderbar.

Ricotta

We purchased some fresh ricotta at Fraboni's. Highly recommend it over the regular store bought. Need to let it ist in a colander to let out liquid for an hour or so. Comes in big containers. Any not used for manicotti, boil up some shells and stuff them. Put in freezer 1.2 hour and then bag in meal sized servings. We pulled some out for dinner last night and covered with simple tomato sauce from tomatoes we boiled down yesterday, herbs and Fraboni sausage. Excellent and quick. Last loaf of ciabatta from my weekend of baking.

Let the games begin...

Here's a pizza we made recently using artichokes from the Madison, WI farmers market, bacon from Bavaria Sausage in Madison, and goat cheese from Dancing Goat Creamery here in Grand Rapids. The carmelized onions were fresh from our own garden. The crust was a new attempt for us (using the recipe from Animal, Vegetable, Miracle). Served with a cold Ambergeddon from Ale Asylum (Madison) - wow! Is that a perfect looking pizza or what?