Spinach Salad with Sauteed Chantrelles, Kohlrabi and Dressed with an Apple Cider and Bacon Dressing

Serves 4

5 slices of lean bacon, chopped fine
2 tablespoons minced shallot (check out Pipitone’s)
1/2 cup Kohlrabi, peeled and cut into matchstick lengths

Generous handful sliced Chantrelles
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1/2 cup apple cider (I use Rockridge Hard Apple Cider)
1 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound fresh spinach, coarse stems discarded and the leaves washed well and spun dry

In a large skillet cook the bacon over moderate heat, turning it, until it is crisp, transfer it to paper towels to drain, and discard all but 2 tablespoons of the fat.

 In the fat remaining in the skillet sauté the shallot, kohlrabi and mushrooms over moderate heat, stirring, for 5 minutes, remove from the pan.

 Add to the pan, the vinegar, cider, and boil the mixture, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, or until it is reduced to about 1/2 the volume. Whisk in the mustard, the oil, and salt and pepper to taste. In a large bowl toss the spinach with the warm dressing until it is just wilted and sprinkle the salad with the bacon mushrooms and kohlrabi mixture.

Roasted Squash and Green Beans or Sauted Greens* with a Soy Sherry Vinaigrette  

Serves 8-10

2 pounds green beans, preferably haricots verts, trimmed

4 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut in ½ inch French-fry style sticks

¼ cup olive oil, split

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

 For dressing:

½ stick unsalted butter (1/4 cup)

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

1 ½ teaspoons sherry vinegar

1 ½ tablespoon soy sauce

Salt and black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 425ºF.

Pre-blanch green beans in a 4-quart saucepan of boiling well-salted water until just tender, 3-4 minutes per batch. Transfer with tongs to a bowl of ice and cold water to stop the cooking. When cool, drain beans and pat dry

 Toss squash with oil, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Spread on a large baking sheet with side and roast about 10-15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350ºF. Push roasted squash to one side of baking sheet and add beans to other side. Drizzle beans with remaining tablespoon of olive oil and roast, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for about 15-20 minutes, until beans are heated through.

 Meanwhile, melt ½ stick butter with ¼ cup olive oil, vinegar and soy sauce in a small saucepan over moderately low heat, whisking until well blended. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

 To serve: Transfer roasted vegetables to a dish. Drizzle with sherry soy butter and toss gently. Recipe adapted from The Gourmet Cookbook, 2004

 *Crop note: when the green beans are gone, which is November, you can take kale, chard or any other dark leafy green and make a bed of sautéed green to go under the beautiful squash.

Just tear out the spine, thinly cut the leaves into ribbons. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil, add a minced shallot and sauté until the greens are soft. Salt and pepper to taste and line your platter with the greens.  Delicious!

Apple, Pear, and Dried-Cherry or Pluot Crumble

Makes 8 servings

1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons plus 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
4 large tart apples, peeled, cored, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices (about 4 cups)
2 large pears, peeled, cored, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices (about 3 cups)
1 cup dried cherries or chopped dried pluots (about 6 ounces)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated lemon peel
1 cup chilled whipping cream
6 tablespoons pure maple syrup (preferably grade B)
Vanilla ice cream

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 13x9x2- inch oval ceramic baking dish. Mix 1 cup sugar, 3 tablespoons flour, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and nutmeg in large bowl. Add apples, pears, and dried cherries to bowl; sprinkle with lemon juice and toss to coat. Transfer to prepared dish.

Using fingertips, mix butter, brown sugar, lemon peel, remaining 1 1/2 cups flour, and remaining 1 teaspoon cinnamon in medium bowl until moist clumps form. Crumble butter mixture over fruit.

Bake until fruit bubbles at edges and crumble is crisp and beginning to brown on top, about 1 hour. Cool about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, beat cream in medium bowl until peaks form. Gradually whisk in maple syrup.

Spoon crumble into bowls and serve with vanilla ice cream and maple cream. Recipe from  Eve Restaurant, Bon Appétit | September 2007

Poached Pears in Raspberry Wine                                                

 Makes 8-10 servings

1 750-ml bottle dry red wine (I use a Sweet Raspberry Wine from Rockridge Farms)
2 1/4 cups sugar
2 cups water
1/2 cup orange juice
2 teaspoons grated orange peel
1 teaspoon ground cardamom

1 ½ inch fresh ginger root, sliced
1 cinnamon stick
8 firm but ripe pears, peeled, stems left intact

1 pint vanilla ice cream (I use Husky Deli Vanilla)
Lemon thyme garnish

Cut a small slice off the bottom of the pear to allow it to stand. Peel and core if using whole. If using halves, slice in half and take out the core with a melon baller.

In a large heavy bottomed saucepan, combine the liquid and spices over medium high heat. When sugar is dissolved, lower heat so mixture is simmering and add the pears. Simmer pears in the liquid until they are soft when pierced with a wood skewer or your pairing knife. Mini seckle pears will take about 15 minutes and larger pears up to 25 minutes or so. Using a slotted spoon, transfer pears to plate.

 Now reduce the liquid by boiling in the saucepan until it is reduced to about 3 cups, about 20 minutes.

Make ahead note: The pears can be make 1-2 days in advance. Cover and chill pears in poaching liquid. You may serve warm or cold.

For serving: Arrange pear or pear half on plate or in bowl, add a scoop of ice cream. Drizzle with the reduced poaching liquid. Garnish with orange peel strips and sprigs of lemon thyme.

Recipe adapted to local ingredients by Naomi Kakiuchi, RD, CD, CCP,  NuCulinary www.nuculinary.com