Recipe: Strawberry Icebox Pie

If ramps are the first taste of spring, then strawberries are most certainly the first taste of summer. Each year as we take our first bite of our first strawberry, a sense of joyous relief falls over us and we know that summer is truly here. But like all good things in life, strawberry season goes by in a flash, and it's up to us to make the most of it.

We wanted to celebrate this limited-time-only, ruby-red harvest this week, but when we sat down to work out the recipe, we had no idea where to start. There are just so many delicious, delectable, delightful ways to eat strawberries! Our favorite, of course, is to eat 'em as you pick 'em - but that's not much of a recipe. Other dishes on the list? Strawberry rhubarb pie, strawberry jam, strawberries and cream, strawberries and ice cream, strawberry pancakes, strawberry shortcake... you can imagine it's a very long list.

Anyway, rather than pick just one, we decided to pile as many strawberry preparations as we could into one pie plate, and here's where we landed – Strawberry Icebox Pie. There's something for everyone, and a little bit of everything for us – graham cracker crust, jam, mousse, cream and fresh berries. It looks like a lot of work, but it's not – we promise! And it's worth it. So, so worth it! 

 
Strawberry Icebox Pie

Crust:
+ 15 graham crackers (about 1 ½ cups when crushed)
+ ¾ stick butter, melted
+ 1/3 cup sugar
+ 1 tsp salt

Jam Layer:
+ 1 lb. strawberries, hulled
+ 1⁄3 cup sugar
+ 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

Mousse Layer: 
+ 1 lb. strawberries, hulled
+ 1⁄2 cup sugar
+ 1⁄2 tbsp. lemon juice
+ 1⁄2 tsp. salt
+ 3 eggs, separated into yolks and whites
+ 1 cup heavy cream
+ 1 1⁄2 tsp. vanilla extract

Whipped Cream:
+ 1 cup heavy cream
+ 2 tbsp sugar

Directions:

To make the crust:
1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Crush the graham crackers. A food processor is the easiest way, but you can also put the crackers in a heavy zip-lock bag, wrap the bag in a dishtowel, and whack away at it with a rolling pin.
3. Mix all crust ingredients until well-combined. Dump into a buttered 9-inch pie pan or spring-form pan and press firmly onto the bottom and up the sides. (If using a spring form pan, lay parchment paper in the bottom and then butter.)
4. Bake for 10 minutes. Set pan on wire rack to cool.

To make the jam layer:
1. Chop about half of the strawberries into 1/2-inch pieces. Set aside.
2. Put remaining strawberries in a medium saucepan and crush them using a fork. Add sugar and cornstarch to the pan and cook over medium-low heat until mixture comes to a boil.
3. Remove from heat and stir in remaining chopped strawberries. Cool completely.
4. Spread cooled jam in the bottom of the cooled crust. If your jam seems very watery, use a slotted spoon and transfer only the chunky parts. Refrigerate the whole thing – crust and jam - or put in the freezer until cool.

To make the mousse layer:
1. Puree strawberries in a blender or food processor until smooth and transfer to a large saucepan. Add sugar, lemon juice, salt, and egg yolks, then whisk until smooth. Put the saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer.
2. Cook, whisking occasionally, for about 15 minutes, or until the mixture has thickened a little. Remove from heat, allow to cool for 10 minutes, then put in the refrigerator until cold – about 30 minutes.
3. Whisk egg whites in a bowl until stiff peaks form and add to cooled strawberry mixture. Fold gently until combined then set aside.
4. Whisk cream and vanilla in a clean bowl until stiff peaks form, add to strawberry mixture. Fold until combined then gently pour into pan, layering on top of cooled jam.
5. Refrigerate the pie or put in the freezer until the mousse sets a bit.

To make the whipped cream:

1. Mix cream and sugar in a bowl. Whip until firm peaks form. Spread over mouse layer. Put in the freezer for a few hours or overnight. One hour before serving, take the cake out of freezer if you're using a spring form pan, release it now) and put in the fridge to thaw slowly. Before serving, top with strawberries.

Note: This recipe originally appeared on RuralIntelligence.com on June 15, 2015. It's been back-dated here on our blog so that it falls, seasonally, in the right place.

Recipe: Candy Cane Ice Cream

If you're as obsessed with cooking, eating and entertaining as we are, the post-holiday weeks can be a bit of a food letdown. Some use this time to cleanse and purify, eating sprouts and celery sticks and carefully avoiding all the fatty, sweet and salty foods they've stuffed themselves with for the last two months. But not us! We say “pshaw!” to that. Carpe diem! Look around – we're deep into winter here in New England. It's dark, it's cold and the only way to stay in high spirits is to spend our short days in front of a hot oven and the long nights by the fire, nibbling on rich treats. Summer is the time for raw veggies and grilled fish - let's indulge while we can!

In the spirit of extending the festive food period, we present one of our favorite post holiday desserts: Peppermint Stick Ice Cream. Though ice cream may seem counter intuitive given the recent sub-zero temperatures, trust us: nothing beats this yummy dessert, covered with some home-made hot chocolate sauce or accompanied by a steaming cup of cocoa. If you need even more justification, this recipe is a great way to get rid of all the candy-canes you've accumulated from the holidays. And peppermint is one of those flavors, just like citrus, that cuts through fat. How could you resist?

Peppermint Stick Ice Cream

Adapted from The Joy Of Cooking

Note: We like to use a simple “Philadelphia” style vanilla base for our Peppermint-Stick Ice Cream. You should feel free to make a french, custard base instead, though we find the Philly style to be a bit brighter to match the flavor of the candy-canes.

Ingredients

+ 3/4 cup sugar

+ 1/8 teaspoon salt

+ 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise in half

+ 3 cups heavy cream

+ 1 cup whole milk

+ 10-12 candy canes, crushed

Special Equipment

+ Ice Cream Maker

1. Combine 1 cup of the heavy cream, the sugar, and the salt into a medium saucepan. Scrape the seeds of the vanilla bean into the cream mixture, then drop the bean shell in as well.

2. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat, stirring often to dissolve the sugar. 

3. Pour the cream mixture into a bowl and stir in the remaining 2 cups of heavy cream and milk. Refrigerate until cold, overnight if possible. 

4. Remove the vanilla bean and seeds and discard. Pour the mixture into your chilled ice cream maker then let'er rip. While it's working it's magic, crush your candy canes into small chunks. We like to put them into a plastic baggie wrapped up in a dishtowel. Then we go over it a couple times with a rolling pin.

5. Once your ice cream mixture is almost at the desired texture, throw the crushed candy into the mixture, letting the machine incorporate the chunks.

6. Serve immediately or put in the freezer for another hour or so. Philadelphia style ice cream – well, any homemade ice cream, really - is best when served within a few hours.

This recipe can also be found on Rural Intelligence.

Recipe: Sinful Bread Pudding

In case you haven’t noticed, we love dessert. Whether it’s a simple scoop of Maple Valley Ice Cream or a decadent chocolate molten soufflé cake, we want a bite and then some. And while we are equal-opportunity dessert eaters, one our favorite forms of post-dinner sweetness is pudding. Rice, Indian, tapioca, banana - you name it, we’ll eat it.

Did you get the Saveur magazine in which Gabriella Gershenson, a Berkshire food devotee, wrote about Berkshire Mountain Bakery? In addition to waxing poetic about owner Richard Bourdon’s unique baking process, she asserts that their chocolate ciabatta is perfectly fit for bread pudding. Well, we had to try it – and right away. We jumped in the car and headed to the Co-Op, only to discover that they were sold out! Not to be deterred, we grabbed a discounted day-old BMB peasant loaf, some chocolate chips and headed home to improvise.

Looking through our cookbooks, we flipped across so many delicious sounding variations on the classic recipe. Chocolate bread pudding, brown-butter bread pudding, bourbon bread pudding... being the gluttons that we are, we decided that there was no harm in having it all once in a while. So after a few preparatory shots of Berkshire Mountain Distillers rum, Silka got down to the business of making the most sinful bread pudding possible.

Sinful Bread Pudding
Adapted from How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman

+ 6 cups baguette or ciabatta, cut or torn into 1-inch chunks
+ 4 tablespoons butter, plus more for greasing
+ 2 cups half-and-half
+ 3/4 cup maple syrup
+ 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
+ a pinch of salt
+ 3 tablespoons rum or whiskey
+ 4 eggs
+ 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Over low heat in a small saucepan butter, half and half, maple syrup, cinnamon, salt and liquor until the butter just melts. In the meantime, butter an 8x8 baking dish or a casserole that fits 1.5 quarts.
2. Put bread pieces into casserole and pour the slightly cooled milk mixture on top. Let sit for a few minutes, submerging any pieces of bread that rise to the top.
3. Beat the eggs lightly, and pour over the bread mixture along with the chocolate chips. Stir gently, being careful not to tear up too many of the bread pieces.
4. Bake for 45 minutes. The center will be a little wobbly still, but it will set as it cools. Serve warm.

Recipe: Raspberry Sour Cream Tart

We are loving our first September together in New Marlborough – perfect weather, the best produce and the late afternoon light?! Amazing! In fact, we fell so in love with September in the Berkshires that we’ve been inspired to get married here, in our backyard, next fall!! 

Not surprisingly, many of our preliminary wedding-planning conversations revolve around food. Jake works with the most amazing team of caterers at Fire Roasted Catering, The Meat Market’s sister company, so that decision was easy to make. But there’s still the cake. We definitely want to incorporate fruit and since we’re drowning in raspberries right now (in the best way!) we knew they’d be a great, seasonal fruit to celebrate.

 

So why do we have so many raspberries? Decades ago Jake’s grandmother planted two raspberry patches - a summer patch and an autumn patch. As the weather starts to cool and the days get shorter, we feel so lucky to have this incredibly bountiful second harvest! On any given day there is at least a quart of newly ripe, sweet rubies to be plucked.

Ok, back to the wedding! We’ve started to play around with some raspberry dessert ideas, preferably ones that are red and white to match our décor (more on that later!). Through a fruitful Google session, Silka found this beautiful and bright recipe - and while it may not be suitable for our wedding cake, we are so happy to have stumbled upon it! 

Raspberry Sour Cream Tart
Bon Appetit via Epicurious.com

For crust
+ 8 whole graham crackers, coarsely broken
+ 1/4 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
+ 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted

For filling and topping
+ 6 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
+ 1/3 cup sugar
+ 1/2 cup sour cream
+ 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
+ 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
+ 2 1/2-pint baskets raspberries
+ 1/4 cup seedless raspberry jam

To make crust:

Preheat oven to 375°F. Grind crackers and sugar in processor until coarse crumbs form. Add butter and process until crumbs are evenly moistened. Press crumb mixture firmly onto bottom and up sides of 9-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom. Bake until crust is firm to touch, about 8 minutes. Cool crust on rack.

Make filling and topping:
Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar in medium bowl until smooth. Beat in sour cream, lemon juice and vanilla. Spread filling in cooled crust. Chill until firm, at least 4 hours. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; keep chilled.)

Arrange berries over filling. Whisk jam in small bowl to loose consistency. Drizzle over berries. Serve immediately or chill up to 3 hours.

Recipe: Mille Crêpe

As you probably know by now, we have a pretty major sweet tooth. But Silka doesn't always have the energy to bake some brilliant dessert after a long day of work - much to Jake's dismay. In these situations we turn to a few standards: peanut M & M's from Duane Reade (we can't always be good!), riccotta with jam and honey, maple popcorn, or crêpes.

We can’t quite remember when Silka first got the crêpe bug, but since then she's been on a mission to master them. The thin French pancakes have always been a part of Jake’s life - while most families were having Sunday pancakes, Jake’s mom Susan (an accomplished baker) was serving crêpes. When we told Susan about Silka’s goal, she went right out and bought Silka a classic crêpe pan. It's one of the few "specialty pans" we believe in, and the only one we own, but with her new toy it didn't take long for Silka to get the hang of it.

As we search for recipes online and on our bookshelves, we've come across quite a few directions for making layered crêpe cakes - or Mille crêpe - with alternating layers of lemon curd, jam, whipped cream, nutella, preserved fruits, etc. There is something especially beautiful about this dish and we've always wanted to try it. The other night, desperate for dessert, Silka set out to make her own version. For the batter, we went straight to the source, using Jake's mother's recipe. And we had aunt Diane’s jam and some fresh ricotta in the fridge, so there was our filling. Soon we had a beautiful, delicious, light, easy, and pretty impressive dessert. Not bad for a weeknight!

Mille Crêpe

+ 1 cup of flour

+ 1 egg

+ 2 cups of milk 

+ 2 tbsp of butter, melted

+ 1 tbsp of sugar

+ a pinch salt

+ butter or oil for cooking

+ a cup of your favorite fillings - ours are ricotta and jam, nutella, sugar and brandy, peanut butter and bananas

 

1. Combine 1 cup of milk, the flour and the egg in a blender or large bowl. Mix until combined and there are no lumps. Add the rest of the milk as needed, until the mixture is the consistency of heavy cream. (We end up using about 1 3/4 cups total.)

2. Add the melted butter, a pinch of salt, and sugar to mixture. Mix to combine. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour, and up to 24 hours.

3. Heat a little butter or oil in a crepe pan or nonstick skillet. Ladle in 1/3 cup of batter into the pan, turning and tilting the pan until the batter thinly coats the whole pan. Cook until the top of the crepe looks set, the edges bubble, and the center lifts with air pockets - about 1 minute.

4. Flip with a wide spatula and cook for another 45 - 60 seconds. Transfer to a plate and repeat with remaining batter, adding more butter to the pan as necessary.

5. Stack the crepes, alternation with your favorite toppings. Let settle for a few minutes, sprinkle with some confectioner's and serve with a dollop of ricotta, cream or nutella.

Recipe: Molten Chocolate Cake

Generally, we like to stick to the more rustic basics, but occasionally we'll get a little fancy. Martha's Molten Chocolate Cake meets us right in the middle. It's one of the simplest  and quickest recipes we've ever used but because of the super gooey (read: still kind of raw) interior, it never fails to impress. The individual cakes are perfect for a dinner party, but even better if it's just one or two of you... after setting overnight, they transform into fantasticly gooey brownies. Because the cakes require so few ingredients, don't be afraid to invest in some good chocolate and butter - we like Scharffen Berger and Ronnybrook.

Molten Chocolate Cake

from Martha Stewart

+ 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for muffin tins
+ 1/3 cup granulated sugar, plus more for muffin tins
+ 3 large eggs
+ 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
+ 1/4 teaspoon salt
+ 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted

For serving:
+ Confectioners' sugar

+ Whipped Crem 

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Generously butter 6 cups of a standard muffin tin. Dust with granulated sugar, and tap out excess. Set aside.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and granulated sugar until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. With the mixer on low speed, beat in flour and salt until just combined. Beat in chocolate until just combined. Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups.
3. Place muffin tin on a baking sheet; bake just until tops of the cakes no longer jiggle when the pan is lightly shaken, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven; let stand 10 minutes.
4. To serve, turn out cakes and place on serving plates. Dust with confectioners' sugar and serve with whipped cream.

Recipe: Gramercy Tavern's Gingerbread

We LOVE Smitten Kitchen. In fact, it was probably the first food blog that Silka saw and thought: Wow, I might actually want to do that. We've made plenty from Deb's archives and almost everything has turned out perfectly. Her favorite Chicken and Dumplings changed our lives. But for some reason Silka has had some trouble with a few of her baking recipes. This isn't to say that they are wrong or bad, because they come from reputable food writers and chefs, plenty of people reference her religiously and she's fabulous enough to get a cookbook deal. So we'll blame it on our own oven issues or sub-par ingredients and keep trying because all those recipes look soooo good.

As you already know if you follow us here or here, we're having a big Christmakkah Dinner this weekend. Silka has her heart set on making Gramercy Tavern's Gingerbread as posted on Smitten Kitchen because, come on, who doesn't love a cake made with molasses and Guinness. But rather than leave it up to her historically awful luck we decided to try it out before the party - a novel idea, we know.

And now, almost a full week before our party we can breathe a sigh of relief because it worked! We lost a bit off the top because of an under buttered pan, but after sprinkling some confectioner's sugar you barely notice. And, anyway, who cares because it's SOOO good! The best part? We can make it ahead of time and all the deep flavors will just get better and deeper and the chewy, crusty edges will just get chewier and crustier. This cake is the real deal so get ready Christmakkah guests! And if you're not coming to the dinner, take it from us and make this cake! It will work - we promise!

Gramercy Tavern's Gingerbread

From Smitten Kitchen via Claudia Fleming

+ 1 cup oatmeal stout or Guinness Stout

+ 1 cup dark molasses (not blackstrap)

+ 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

+ 2 cups all-purpose flour

+ 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

+ 2 tablespoons ground ginger

+ 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

+ 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

+ 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

+ Pinch of ground cardamom

+ 3 large eggs

+ 1 cup packed dark brown sugar

+ 1 cup granulated sugar

+ 3/4 cup vegetable oil

+ Confectioners sugar for dusting

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously butter bundt pan and dust with flour, knocking out excess. (Seriously. Butter a LOT. We thought we'd buttered more than we could possibly butter, and still lost almost all of the decorative bundt shape from the top.)

2. Bring stout and molasses to a boil in a large saucepan and remove from heat. Whisk in baking soda, then cool to room temperature.

3. Sift together flour, baking powder, and spices in a large bowl. Whisk together eggs and sugars. Whisk in oil, then molasses mixture. Add to flour mixture and whisk until just combined.

4. Pour batter into bundt pan and rap pan sharply on counter to eliminate air bubbles. Bake in middle of oven until a tester comes out with just a few moist crumbs adhering, about 50 minutes. Cool cake in pan on a rack 5 minutes. Turn out onto rack and cool completely.

5. Serve cake dusted with confectioners sugar, with whipped cream or ice cream.

Recipe: Cookies for Susie

Last week we lost an incredibly special person, someone who played an indescribable role in our lives. Susie was an amazing and inspiring artist, Jake's best friend, a confidant and a mentor. It's not often one meets a person like Susie, and we are so lucky have to had someone like her in our lives.

Susie would often join us for dinner in the Berkshires and bowl us over with her enormous appetite. Despite her thin frame, she would plow through the meal like a lumberjack. She was a professional cook for years but never cooked for herself at home. The staple of her diet, and her favorite food, was the cookie. She would wake up at the crack of dawn, go to her kitchen, grab a couple cookies and get back in bed to read or listen to NPR until it was time to get up and paint.

This post is our way of remembering Susie’s beauty, wisdom, and joyful quirks. While we miss her terribly, we know her infectious laugh and unfailing warmth will be with us every day - and every time we reach for a cookie.

Classic Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies

+ 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

+ 1 teaspoon baking soda

+ 1 teaspoon salt

+ 1 cup butter, softened

+ 3/4 cup granulated sugar

+ 3/4 cup packed brown sugar

+ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

+ 2 large eggs

+ 1 (12 ounce) package chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

2. Combine flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.

3. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

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 Chicken with Collards, Mashed Potatoes and Raspberry Gallette

Whenever we visit Jake's family in the Berkshires, we look forward to cooking them a big meal. Like us they are food-obsessed, and it only seems fair that we contribute, given their 18+ years of cooking for Jake and his two brothers.

This last visit was timed perfectly with the height of Jake's father's harvest- so we knew his huge collard greens would be a major component of the meal. From there we headed to our friend Sean Stanton's North Plain Farm where we picked out our protein. As we arrived, two of Sean’s apprentices entered the Farm Store carrying a full load of beautiful, yellow-skinned, pasture-raised chickens that had been slaughtered the day before- the evidence of which was in the driveway. Well, we knew we couldn't get much fresher than that. And talk about local! The remainder of the broilers were scratching around in the field right outside. We left with three chickens to roast, plus some of Sean's perfectly porky bacon to cook with the greens. 

Jake’s parents always have a sack of potatoes laying around from their friends at Foster Farm in Sagaponack so we thought we might as well round out the meal with some creamy mashed potatoes. As we were busy foraging for produce, Jake's mother was picking hundreds of raspberries from their bushes for a TBD desert. With all our ingredients in order, we got cooking.

This was a simple meal to prepare and it couldn't have been more satisfying on a brisk early-Fall day after a beautiful morning hike and an afternoon of local harvest. The chicken was incredibly juicy and- unlike what you get from the supermarket- tasted really chicken-y. The collards were sweet with a strong irony flavor and delicious hints of porky goodness while the mashed potatoes were buttery, creamy and oh so filling. But the impromptu raspberry gallette was the highlight, with handfuls of peaked fruit tucked into a light flaky crust. But that's a recipe for another post!

Roast Chicken with Gravy

+ 1 3-4 lb Chicken, pasture raised with giblets

+ ¼ cup of butter, softened

+ a bunch of herbs: thyme, rosemary, parsley, sage or whatever you have

+ 4 garlic cloves, crushed

+ 1 medium yellow onion, halved

+ salt and black pepper

+ ½ cup all-purpose flour

1. Preheat your oven to 500 with a cast iron pan or a clay baking dish in it. (If you don't have either, a large all-metal pan or a Pyrex baking dish will work.) Check to see if the chicken has any giblets in its cavity, hopefully it does. Take them out and set aside.

2. Dry off the chicken with a towel and make sure you immediately put the towel in the laundry basket. Try to gently separate the skin from the breast. You don't want the skin to tear, so don't force it. If you’re successful tuck a couple of cloves of garlic in the crevice between the leg and the breast (on each side), along with a few tablespoons of butter and some of the herbs.

3. Spread the rest of butter all over the top of the chicken then salt and pepper heavily. This is what give a roast chicken that great golden brown crust. Stuff the inside cavity of the chicken with half an onion a couple of garlic cloves the rest of the herbs.

4. Place the chicken, breast side up in the hot pan and put it in the oven.

Meanwhile- if you have them- brown the giblets in a small sauce pot with salt and pepper. After they are nicely browned add a 1 ½ cups of water, the other half an onion, and a pinch of salt and pepper. You can also throw in a carrot or celery stalk if you have them. Bring it to a boil and keep it at a hard simmer while the chicken roasts, adding more water if needed.

5. After 15 minutes turn the oven down to 350.

6. Check the chicken after 45 minutes. If you want to use a thermometer stick, it should read 165 when stuck into the breast. Our preferred method is shaking its leg. If it shakes loosely and clear juice runs out, it's done. When it's done take the chicken out of the pan, tipping it slightly so all of the inside juices can run out into the pan. 

7. Place the chicken on a carving board and let it rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Bring the giblets to a medium heat. Strain the the stock from the giblets into the pan and whisk together with other juices. As you whisk, slowly add flour to your desired thickness. Be very careful- you can't "unthicken" gravy.

Collards with Bacon

+ A bunch of collards - they cook down a lot

+ 8 oz bacon

+ ½ cup of Organic Apple Cider Vinegar - we almost exclusively use the Bragg Organic brand

+ salt and pepper to taste - red pepper flakes are good, too

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil.

2. Go through the collards removing the thick part of the stems. Blanch the collards in the boiling water. Take them out after 3 minutes and run them under cold water to stop the cooking.

3. Cut the bacon up to what ever size you like - as you've probably learned, we like big chunks.

4. Fry the bacon in a large saute pan. When the bacon is pretty browned and crispy, throw in the collards, the apple cider, and some salt. 

5. Cook for about 20 minutes, stirring frequently. Some people like them with more bite then others, so just keep checking until they reach your desired tenderness. Sprinkle with salt or red pepper flakes and serve

Jake's Creamy Mashed Potatoes

+ 2 lbs of Yukon Gold potatoes, quartered - we like Russets as well

+ ¼ cup butter, cut up in chunks

+ whole milk - non-homogenized or raw if possible - or cream

+ salt and pepper

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil and throw in the potatoes.

2. Meanwhile put the butter in a large bowl or the mixing bowl of a standing mixer.

3. After about 20 minutes check to see if the potatoes are tender by sticking a fork in them. When the potatoes are done, drain.

4. Add the hot potatoes to the butter. If you are using a standing mixing use your whipping attachment and start mixing on a low setting, adding the milk or cream slowly until you get your desired consistency. We like it chunky, but rich. You can just as easily mix everything together with a masher, big serving fork or spoon. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve.