Recipe: Spinach Salad with Apples & Cheddar

Warmer weather is creeping in, but spring produce has yet to sprout. This leaves us with a pretty constant hankering for lighter fare. Enough with the roasts and braises, give us greens! ...That is, until the next time this crazy weather ricochets back to colder temperatures.

Recently, Silka has become obsessed with hearty spinach and apple salad. It's a classic combination - greens, apples, some cheese and a handful of nuts - and a perfect way to give a little lift to these late winter/early spring meals. We've probably made the salad 5 times in the last month, each time with a few improvements. First, we made the genius decision (if we do say so ourselves) to fry almonds, our nut of choice, in bacon fat. Next, thanks to the helpful people at Race Farms, we concluded that Fuji's were the best apple for the job. And finally we discovered THE cheese to bring it all together: the Cabot Clothbound Cheddar from The Cellars at Jasper Hill. We suggest you run out and get some...NOW!

Spinach Salad with Apples and Cheddar

Salad:

1 generous handful of raw almonds

1 tsp bacon fat (or a little butter, if you'd like to keep it vegetarian)

1 1/2 lbs spinach - we like regular, but baby would work fine as well

2/3 cup sharp cheddar cheese, cut or broken into chunks

1 medium apple, cored and thinly sliced - Fujis are great for this!

Dressing:

+ 1/2 cup olive oil

+ 1 tbsp soy sauce

+ 2 tbsp vinegar - we like apple cider vinegar

+ 2 tsp dijon mustard

+ 2 cloves of garlic, minced

1. Heat the bacon fat (or butter) in a small pan on medium heat. Once melted, add the almonds. Shake the pan to coat the almonds with the fat. Cook for 5 minutes, shaking the pan every minute or so.

2. While the almonds are cooking, assemble the rest of the ingredients in a bowl. Mix the dressing ingredients together and set aside.

3. When the almonds are done, spread them on a cutting board. Let them sit for a couple minutes then chop coarsely and add to the salad.

4. Toss with enough dressing to coat, and serve!

Serves 4 as a side or appetizer salad.

Recipe: Crumble-Top Apple Pie

As a food-obsessed couple, we're somehow lucky enough to agree on most preferences. Local and seasonal? Check. Earthy, gamy foods? Check. Lots of Brussels Sprouts and Kale? Check. Bacon? Check! Ok, that's an easy one. But the one thing we can't agree on? Pie versus crumble. Silka likes the crunchy chunks of a crumble's topping while Jake much prefers the flaky crust of a traditional pie.

But now that it's fall, we're picking up a half dozen apples every time we go to the market. And when we get home, we're left with the same question: How are we going to get through all of these apples before we go to the market and thoughtlessly pick up another half dozen just because they are there and beautiful and we can't help it? Silka generally tries to avoid the pie/crumble conflict by making apple cakes, bread and sauces. But this week she really wanted a crumble, so we decided to compromise with an crumble-topped apple pie. Nick Malgieri's flaky pastry crust, made with wheaty Cayuga flour and rich Ronnybrook butter, was the perfect compliment to a mix of Migliorelli Jonagold and Macoun apples. Topped with an oatmeal and molasses crumble and some vanilla ice cream, it was something we could both agree on.

Flaky Pie Crust

From Nick Malgieri's Bake!

 

+ 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

+ 1/4 teaspoon salt
+ 1/8 teaspoon baking powder
+ 8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold unsalted butter
+ 2 to 3 tablespoons cold water

 

1. To mix the dough by hand, combine flour, salt and baking powder in a medium sized mixing bowl and stir well to mix. Cut butter into 1-tablespoon pieces and add to dry ingredients. Toss once or twice to coat pieces of butter. Then using your hands or a pastry blender, break the butter into tiny pieces and pinch and squeeze it into the dry ingredients. Keep the mixture uniform by occasionally reaching down to the bottom of the bowl and mixing all the ingredients evenly together. Continue rubbing the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles a coarseground cornmeal and no large pieces of butter remain visible. 

2. Sprinkle the minimum amount of water over the butter and flour mixture and stir gently with a fork the dough should begin holding together. If the mixture still appears dry and crumbly, add the remaining water, 1 teaspoon at a time for the smaller quantity of dough, a tablespoon at a time for the larger quantity, until the dough holds together easily.

3. To mix the dough in the food processor, combine flour, salt and baking powder in work bowl fitted with metal blade. Pulse 3 times at 1-second intervals to mix. Cut butter into 1-tablespoon pieces and add to work bowl. Process, pulsing repeatedly at 1-second intervals, until the mixture is fine and powdery, resembles a coarse-ground cornmeal and no large pieces of butter remain visible. About 15 pulses in all.

4. Scatter the minimum amount of water on the butter and flour mixture and pulse 5 or 6 times. The dough should begin holding together. If the mixture still appears dry and crumbly, add the remaining water, 1 teaspoon at a time.

5. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and form it into a disk. Sandwich the disk of dough between two pieces of plastic wrap and press it into a 6-inch circle. Refrigerate the dough until firm, or until you are ready to use it, at least 1 hour. 

Crumble Topping 

Adapted from this recipe

+ 1/2 cup golden brown sugar - we used just under 1/2 cup granulated sugar and 1 tablespoon of molasses

+ 1/2 cup flour

+ 1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
+ 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
+ 1/4 teaspoon salt
+ 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) chilled unsalted butter, diced

1. Mix oats, cinnamon, salt, golden brown sugar and flour in medium bowl. Add chilled butter and rub in with fingertips until moist clumps form.

Crumble-Top Apple Pie

+ Completed crust dough

+ Completed crumble

Filling: 

+ 6 cups thinly sliced, peeled apples (6 medium) - we like to use a mix of Jonagold and Macoun

+ 3/4 cup sugar

+ 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

+ 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

+ 1/4 teaspoon salt

+ 1 tablespoon lemon juice - we used Apple Cider Vinegar

1. Heat oven to 425°F. Place 1 pie crust in ungreased 9-inch glass pie plate. Press firmly against side and bottom. Fold in top edge to create a small ridge. 

2. In large bowl, gently mix filling ingredients; spoon into crust-lined pie plate. Top with crumble. 

3. Bake for 45 minutes or until apples are tender and crumble is golden brown.

4. Cool on cooling rack at least 2 hours before serving. (We never stick to that rule.)

Locahol: Harvest Moon

The other night we were enjoying some post-dinner Boardwalk Empire and Silka was conflicted; she wanted something sweet but she also wanted a cocktail. Luckily Jake, our official mixologist had just discovered Breuckelen Distilling Whiskey.

Jake is an American whiskey fanatic and was excited about finding another good, distinctive whiskey - and a local one at that. What makes this whiskey stand out is it's deep maple syrupy notes which make it rich, warming, smooth, and delicious. While we aren't usually fans of sweet cocktails, this night, at Silka's request, Jake jumped to his feet with a burst of whiskey-fueled inspiration. Why not make a dessert cocktail? And our first original cocktail was born - the Harvest Moon. 

When we say Jake is the "official mixologist" we don't mean to imply he actually knows anything about tending bar or creating drinks. But he knows how to combine flavors and he knows how to drink whiskey, so... close enough. We ventured into the kitchen, grabbed some apples, cinnamon sticks, and the last of our super dark maple syrup that Jake’s brothers tapped last year. And, whoa, did it hit the spot! We're definitely going to do this more often!

Harvest Moon

+ 1 ½ oz whiskey - we used Breuckelen Distilling Whiskey

+ 1 tablespoon of dark maple syrup

+ 1 apple, cut into eight pieces

+ 4 oz water

+ ½ cinnamaon stick

+ 1 tablespoon of butter

1. In a small sauce pan, combine the maple syrup, water, cinnamon stick, and 4 apple slices. Bring to a hard simmer on medium-high heat and cook for about 5 minutes. Taste to make sure it's apple-y and cinnamon-y enough. If it's not sweet enough for you, add more syrup. 

2. Remove from heat and whisk in butter. Strain into a glass. Pour whiskey over, and stir gently. 

3. Serve with an apple slice garnish or add the cooked apples back in the glass. Drink away!

Sunday Dinner: Roast Duck with Apple Sausage Stuffing & Root Vegetables

One of the most exciting things about maintaining this blog is that we're forced to think more creatively about the food that we make. Even though we love to cook often, and tend to be quite "epicurious," it's easy to get stuck in a routine. But this week Silka decided she wanted to roast a duck. That was different! We both love duck because, as you've probably gathered, we love the gamier meats. Neither of us had any experience cooking it, but something about roasting a duck seemed so classic - out of Dickens or Proust - that we figured it couldn't be that difficult. So we deferred to the classic - Julia Child - for her Roast Duck and Apple & Sage Stuffing recipe. 

We'd never bought a whole duck at the market but we knew we'd find one at Quattro's Game Farm. At Migliorelli’s we picked up some apples for the stuffing and a medley of hearty vegetables to roast with the duck: squash, turnips, carrots, and some beets. The breakfast sausage from Flying Pigs was calling our name, and to balance out the meal we grabbed some salad mix from Windfall Farms.

When we got home it dawned on us that we had gotten so carried away with duck plans that we had forgotten to invite people over! And ducks are big. So Silka called our friends, neighbors, and fellow bloggers Sara and Ron to spontaneously share the bird, which turned out perfectly. The duck was so easy, and as an added bonus it left us with twelve cups of stock and 3 cups of duck fat! Next up: Mushroom Risotto made with Duck Stock.

Apple Sausage Stuffing

+ ½ lbs pork sausage, breakfast or English style

+ 1/2 tsp honey

+ 4-5 crisp apples, skins removed, cored and cut into 1-inch chunks - we used Jonagolds and Macouns

+ 1 tablespoon sugar

+ ¼ tsp cinnamon

+ ¼ tsp salt

+ 1 sprig of sage

+ 2 tablespoons cognac

+ ¼ cup port

+ ¼ cup stock - we made a quick stock using the giblets

1. Remove sausage from casing. Brown sausage in a heavy pan on high heat. When golden brown, set aside in a bowl, reserving fat in the pan.

2. Add honey to the reserved fat and heat. Saute apples in the honey/fat mixture on medium-high heat, until they are lightly browned and almost tender. Try not to overcook.

3. Place the apples on a platter and sprinkle with cinnamon, salt, sage, and cognac.

4. Add port and beef stock to pan, boiling rapidly until liquid has reduced to 2-3 tablespoons. Pour wine reduction over the sausage.

5. When cooled, combine apple mixture and sausage mixture.

Roast Duck

+ one 5 ½ lb duck

+ a sprig of thyme

+ a sprig of sage

+ 2 small onions, sliced

+ 1 medium carrot, sliced

+ salt

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Season the inside of the duck with salt, pepper, herbs, and some of the sliced onion. Stuff the duck with the stuffing and close the cavity. We used wooden skewers to pin the cavity closed.

2. Tie the legs and wings to the body. Prick the skin around the thighs, back, and lower breast and pat the duck dry with a towel. Generously salt.

3. Place duck, breast side up, in a roasting pan. Surround the duck with the carrots and rest of the onions.

4. Put in the oven for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and turn duck on its side. Remove accumulated fat from pan.

5. After 30 minutes turn the duck on the other side, removing any excess fat again.

6. After another 30 minutes turn the duck breast side up and cook for an additional 15 minutes.

7. Let rest and serve.

Gravy

+ 2 cups of stock

+ 2 tablespoons butter

+ 3 tablespoons port

1. Make a stock using the giblets while roasting the duck. Add cooked vegetables from the duck's roasting pan to stock and mash together. Add the port and simmer for a minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in butter. Strain and serve in a gravy boat with duck and stuffing. 

Recipe: Flying Pigs Pork Chops, Apple Sauce & Bacon Fat Potatoes

When we asked Daniel what his favorite Flying Pigs meal was, we knew that we were asking a difficult question. And it's not just because their product is so exceptional, but because pig is so exceptional. Even for us pork lovers, it's not easy to pin down a best-loved cut. How do you choose a slow-cooked, falling-off-the-bone shoulder over a thick, juicy chop? Or slow-smoked ribs, or bacon, or sausage, or dry-cured ham, or.... well, you get the point. 

Unable to decide on just one preferred pork preparation, Daniel listed three. Among them: carbonara made with bacon ends and rich, free-range eggs, carnitas, and grilled pork chops. We recently put together a great carbonara and have been doing a lot of braises lately, so we decided to go with the chop. Daniel likes to serve his charred (but still pink) with thinly cut potatoes pan-fried in bacon fat and some seasonal greens. And because the market is overflowing with apples right now, we decided to throw in a bit of our own flavor- a savory apple sauce.

One of the things we love about the Flying Pigs chops, besides their insanely porky taste, is the 3/8 inch layer of fat left around the edges. But sometimes it can be tricky to get more than the outer 1/8 golden and crisped up. Luckily Daniel let us in on a new technique to allow the sizzling heat to get deeper: cross-score the fat! Just when you think you know how to make a simple pork chop...

Pan-Seared Pork Chops

+ 2 pork chops, 1 ½ - 2 inches thick with a nice layer of fat

+ coarse grain sea salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 350.

2. Pat pork chops dry with a paper towel. Using a sharp knife, carefully cut into "x"s into the fat. Make sure you don't cut into the flesh of the chop, but do cut through a substantial amount the fat.

3. Heavily salt the chop on both sides with the sea salt, rubbing the salt into the fat.

4. Place the cast iron pan over high heat and wait until the pan starts to smoke. When the pan is hot place the pork chops on edge, fat side down, for about a minute. If the pork chop is thick enough it should balance. 

5. Sear each of the other sides for about a minute and a half each. Remove the pan from the burner and put it in the oven for about 10 minutes - or until it reaches 135 degrees. (We highly recommend getting an electric meat thermometer.) When done, take the chops out of the pan and let them sit for about 7 minutes.

Note: These directions are for a medium-rare pork chop, which is delicious! But we ONLY recommend cooking it to this temperature if you are getting meat from a source you trust, selling pasture-raised pork. Otherwise, cook the chops for a little bit longer.

Potato Slices Pan-Fried in Bacon Fat

+ 3 - 4 tablespoons of bacon drippings - when ever you cook bacon or pork chops, save the fat in a little container in your fridge for cooking and frying

+ 1 lb of potatoes - we used Red Golds which were perfect and turned a gorgeous color,  the waxier the better.

+ salt and pepper to taste

+ rosemary, thyme, sage or similar herbs to taste

1. Slice the potatoes thinly, to about ⅛” - ¼” thickness. A mandoline is perfect for this.

2. In a heavy-duty pan, heat bacon drippings on med-high. When the fat has melted and begins to sizzle, add the potatoes, herbs, salt and pepper. 

3. Stir occasionally. After about five minutes, turn the heat to medium and continue to stir every now and then. If the potatoes start to stick to the pan, add a little water to deglaze the pan. 

4. Cook until all the slices are tender and golden - about 40 min.

Savory Apple Sauce

+ 1 tablespoon butter

+ 3 apples cut up into big chunks - we used 2 Jonagold and 1 Macoun

+ 1 clove of garlic, crushed

+ ½ cup apple cider vinegar

+ 1 tablespoon of yellow mustard seeds

+ 1 tablespoon of honey

+ 3 peppercorns, cracked

+ 1 inch length of cinnamon stick.

1. Melt butter on medium-high heat. When butter is melted and starting to foam, add all ingredients.

2. Keep at a steady simmer, stirring occasionally.

3. Cook until desired consistency- about 20 to 30 minutes. We like ours a little chunky.

4. Serve with pork chops.