Mushroom Gravy

makes about 4 cups

Ideally, I use 2 pans to make this gravy. The good news is that the chanterelles can be cooked ahead, eliminating the need for both pans taking up precious stove real estate when you are trying to pull together your gravy. In fact, the gravy itself re-heats nicely if you want to make the whole thing in advance.

Ingredients
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
½ pound chanterelle mushrooms (or substitute other wild mushrooms), cleaned and sliced
2 Tbsp. chopped shallot or leek
1 tsp. fresh chopped marjoram or thyme, optional
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
⅓ cup Madeira or sherry
4 Tbsp. butter
½ pound shiitake mushrooms, sliced
⅓ cup all-purpose flour
4 cups mushroom broth, poultry broth, vegetable broth, or meat broth

Steps

1. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over a high flame. When the oil is quite hot (shimmering but not smoking), add the sliced chanterelle mushrooms and cook over high heat, stirring often, until all the liquid that the mushrooms give off cooks away. Reduce the heat to medium and stir in the shallot or leek and the fresh herbs. Cook for about 5 more minutes, until the aromatics are tender and the mushrooms are thoroughly cooked and beginning to brown.Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Increase the heat once again to high, then add the Madeira or Sherry. Let the wine bubble away, then remove the pan from the heat.
2. Next, or simultaneously, add the butter to a wide saucepan and heat over a medium-high flame. Add the shiitake mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are nicely browned. Season with salt and pepper, then stir in the flour. Cook for a couple of minute, moving the ingredients around with your spoon, until the flour begins to brown lightly. Stir in the broth. Bring the gravy to a boil, add in the cooked chanterelle mushrooms, then reduce the heat and simmer until thickened to your liking, about 20 minutes.

recipe by Chef Kathryn Yeomans
The Farmer’s Feast

Find the complete blog post and other recipes here (link).

Cranberry Mostarda

makes 3 cups

This sweet-savory mustard fruit condiment is magic paired with roast turkey, ham, pork, chicken, duck, or goose. It also makes for a lovely accompaniment to a charcuterie or cheese plate. And I am at a loss for a better way to elevate leftovers to a more elegant sandwich than with to slather a spoonful of fruit mostarda over sliced turkey...except if maybe you added Ancient Heritage Dairy Adelle Cheese and some crisp market salad leaves along with!

Ingredients
1 pound fresh cranberries
2 cups granulated sugar
2 cups water
3 Tbsp. dry mustard (such as Colman’s)
1 Tbsp. black or brown mustard seeds
1 Tbsp. yellow mustard seeds
salt
the zest & juice of 1 orange

Steps

1. In a small, heavy-bottomed pot, combine the cranberries with the sugar and water and bring to a simmer. Cook for several minutes, until the cranberries begin to burst.
2. Mix the dry mustard powder with enough additional water to make a thin, pourable paste. Add the reconstituted mustard, along with the seeds, to the cranberries. Season the mixture with salt. Simmer, stirring now and then to prevent scorching, until the mixture has thickened (it should be the consistency of melted jam), about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat. Stir in the orange zest and juice. Allow to cool to room temperature.
3. The mostarda will keep, in a sealed container in the refrigerator for a week.

Chef Kathryn Yeomans ~ The Farmer’s Feast
http://thefarmersfeast.me/ or visit The Farmer’s Feast on Facebook
Hillsdale Farmers’ Market’s Feed Me Fresh Cooking Class

Red Cabbage Agrodolce with Juniper Berries

6 servings

Sweet & sour (agrodolce) red cabbage is perfect either alongside a turkey dinner, or on a sandwich accompanying leftover roast. Neither too sweet nor too sour, the cabbage is instead transformed into a rich, meltingly tender, striking purple savory side dish, particularly festive with the addition of juniper berries.

Ingredients

1 medium head red cabbage (about 2 pounds)
⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
2 Tbsp. whole juniper berries
2 Tbsp. sugar
1⁄2 cup red wine vinegar
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Steps

1. Quarter and core the cabbage. Cut the leaves into 1⁄2 inch wide ribbons.
2. Add the olive oil to a wide skillet. Heat the skillet over a medium-high flame. When the oil is hot (shimmering, but not smoking), add the onion and the juniper berries. Cook, stirring, until the onion has softened, about 3 minutes.
3. Add the cabbage to the pan, tossing the ingredients together, then stir in the sugar and vinegar. Reduce the heat to medium, cover, and cook until the cabbage is tender and the flavors have mellowed and melded(about 20 minutes). Stir the cabbage occasionally as it cooks, adding water, a couple of tablespoons at a time, if the pan becomes dry. Reduce the heat if the cabbage starts to brown. Once the cabbage has cooked to your liking, season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve hot, warm, room temperature, or cold.

From Chef Kathryn Yeomans
The Farmer’s Feast
http://thefarmersfeast.me

Cornbread

A “Northerner’s” cornbread, it is usually made with yellow corn meal (though a good grainy white cornmeal works just as well), and a little sugar (Southern corn bread recipes often omit sugar). I love to add crisp bacon crumbles or even better – cracklins, if I have the luxury, and softened dried corn (that I “put up” during corn season).

I found this recipe in Bernard Clayton, Jr.’s The Complete Book of Breads, and tweaked it slightly. The original recipe calls for the room temperature butter to be beaten with a fork into the milk and eggs. Frankly, I’m puzzled as to how to beat softened butter into milk and eggs, so rather than risk it my first go at the recipe, I just cut the butter into the dry ingredients, as one would for a pie crust. The result is a moist, tender, delicate cornbread with a wonderful crumb. Also, I bake the bread in a cast iron skillet instead of a baking dish. This gives the bottom a delightfully crisp, browned crust, and the bread a good rise and even bake.

Ingredients
3 Tbsp. dried corn (optional)
1 cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup sugar
1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. baking powder
¾ tsp. salt
1 cup yellow cornmeal
¼ cup cold butter (½ stick), cut into small pieces 2 eggs
1 cup milk
⅓ cup chopped crisp bacon or cracklins (optional)

Steps

1. Lightly grease a 9 or 10 inch cast iron skillet. Pre-heat the oven to 425 ̊ Fahrenheit.
2. Place the corn in a small bowl or a mug. Add enough very hot or boiling water to just cover and set aside while you mix the batter.
3. In a medium sized bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Stir in the cornmeal.
4. Cut the butter into the dry ingredients, as you would for pie dough, so that the resulting butter bits are small but visible “pearls”. Beat together the milk and eggs. Add the liquid into the batter, stirring with a wooden spoon just long enough to incorporate the ingredients. Do not over-stir. Drain the corn (reserving the hydrating liquid for rice or soup if you wish). Gently blend the corn and the cracklins into the batter.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared skillet. Let rest 10 minutes.
6. Bake for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Do not over-bake or the cornbread will be dry. Cut and serve immediately.

From Chef Kathryn Yeomans
The Farmer's Feast
http://thefarmersfeast.me/