Cilantro + Basil Trays at Peace Tree Farm// Kintnersville, Pennsylvania — Cilantro + Basil Trays at Peace Tree Farm// Kintnersville, Pennsylvania

December in Photos + Recipes

January 22, 2016

BUCKS COUNTY

Delaware River Valley// Upper Black Eddy, Pennsylvania

Braised Cabbage

2-3 large purple cabbages

3 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar or beer

salt, pepper, red pepper flake, to taste

In a large cast iron skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Add cabbage and cook for about 5-10 minutes until soft. Turn heat to high and add vinegar or beer. Season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flake. Bon Appetit.

Linzertorte

Makes a 9 inch torte with lattice crust

12 oz slivered almonds

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1 egg

1/2 cup flour

1 tsp lemon zest

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon clove

1 cup lingonberry or raspberry jam

1 egg yolk

1 tsp water

In a food processor, process almonds until nuts are finely ground. Add flour and spices and mix together. Put butter into dry ingredients. In a small dish beat the egg and lemon zest, stir into butter/flour mixture. Knead dough until it forms a ball. Divide in two and refrigerate until firm.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a 9 inch pie pan, work one of the dough balls into the bottom of the pan, guiding the dough up the sides of the pan forming the crust. Pour jam onto curst. In between two pieces of wax paper, roll out other dough ball until about 1/4 inch thick. Cut dough into 1 inch strips and layer atop pan(watch a tutorial here!) In a small dish mix together egg yolk and water. With a pastry brush, gently paint the lattice topper. Bake in oven 45-60 minutes until golden.

Gingersnap Perfection// Upper Black Eddy, Pennsylvania — Gingersnap Perfection// Upper Black Eddy, Pennsylvania

Gingersnaps

Makes about 4 dozen

2 1/4 cups (281 grams) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons (10 grams) baking soda
1/2 teaspoon (2 to 3 grams) salt
3 teaspoons (6 grams) ground ginger

3 teaspoons (6 grams) fresh ginger
1 teaspoon (2 grams) cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon (1 gram) allspice

1/2 teaspoons (1 gram) chili powder
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
2 sticks (8 ounces or 227 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
1/2 cup (96 grams) brown sugar
1 large egg
1/3 cup (79 ml) unsulphured molasses

handful crystalized ginger, cut into strips

In a large mixing bowl, mix butter sugars until fluffy. Add egg and molasses. In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients and slowly add to wet ingredients. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill for at least an hour or until firm. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll dough into 1 inch balls and place on a parchment lined cookie sheet at least two inches from on another. Place crystalized ginger atop. Bake for 12-14 minutes until golden. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before transferring to cooling rack. Enjoy!

Veins to the Sky// Upper Black Eddy, Pennsylvania — Veins to the Sky// Upper Black Eddy, Pennsylvania

Winter Traditions// Upper Black Eddy, Pennsylvania — Winter Traditions// Upper Black Eddy, Pennsylvania

Ma's Chocolate Bark

10 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

1 cup whole roasted, salted cashews

1 cup dried apricots, chopped

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/4 cup dried cherries

1/2 cup toasted coconut

In a double boiler, melt together chocolates. On a sheet of parchment paper measure a 9 x 10 rectangle. Pour chocolate over rectangle and sprinkle cashews, apricots, cranberries, cherries, and coconut atop. Let set for 2 hours until firm. Break into pieces and serve.

Catalpa Tree// Upper Black Eddy, Pennsylvania — Catalpa Tree// Upper Black Eddy, Pennsylvania

Tree Lights// Upper Black Eddy,Pennsylvania

Delaware River Valley at Devils Tea Table// New Jersey — Delaware River Valley at Devils Tea Table// New Jersey

Little Red Riding Hood// Pipersville, Pennsylvania

Creek Scenes// Upper Black Eddy, Pennsylvania

The Gallows// Upper Black Eddy, Pennsylvania — The Gallows// Upper Black Eddy, Pennsylvania

Orange// Pipersville, Pennsylvania — Orange// Pipersville, Pennsylvania

NEW YORK

Ms. Lyle's Sausages

BY CLARA LYLE

I have countless memories of my mother, standing at our butcher block, with a glass of red wine, eyes fixed on the newspaper, eating soft peppers with translucent onions and crackled hot and sweet sausages; each bite cloaked with large gobs of Maille Dijon mustard. Every good meat eater relishes in the feeling of biting into a hot sausage, dripping with fennel seed and fat. In this dish, the acidic red pepper and onion perfectly complement the crisped sausage.

Recently I had the privilege to invite my wonderful friends over for a reunion. I did not intend to spend the entire evening at my usual post in the kitchen, and so I made the classic and served it with a large green salad dressed in an herbed lemon dressing. Not only was the meal consumed with the finest of company, but in its simplicity I was able to sit down and enjoy it with everyone. So next time you are preparing a meal with good friends, consider this:

Shelley’s Bleeker St. Sausage

3 medium Spanish onions, julienned

¼ Cup of extra virgin olive OIl

4 red and yellow Bell peppers, cored and julienned

Salt and pepper

3 Tablespoons Vinegar (preferably Champagne or Red Vinegar)

5 Lbs of Sweet/Hot Sausage from Faiccos on Bleeker Street

Heat a medium cast iron and add the olive oil. When hot, add the onion and wait for it to be slightly translucent, about three minutes. Add the vinegar and cook for a minute longer. At a medium heat add the peppers and cover the pan partially, stirring occasional to prevent burning. Salt and pepper to taste.

Put a separate pan on medium heat and while waiting for it to warm, gently poke each sausage twice with a fork, making small holes in the casing to help release heat and allow for an even sear. Place the sausage in the pan ensuring that there is enough room for the sausage to cook evenly, work in batches if you have to.

When the peppers and onions are cooked all the way through they should be soft to the touch but still maintain the integrity of their original form, no mush allowed!

Finally, combine the sausage with the peppers and onions and cook on a slow, low heat for 3 more minutes, allowing the flavors to meld ever so slightly.

Serve with mustard.

Big Green Salad w/ Herbed Lemon Vinaigrette

1 head of romaine, washed and torn

1 head of escarole, washed and torn

Mix together:

½ cup of EVO

Juice of one lemon

1 tsp Dijon

1 minced shallot

½ cup of equal chopped parsley, chive, and tarragon

1 soft boiled egg

1 TBS capers (optional)

Chinatown Underbelly// New York, New York — Chinatown Underbelly// New York, New York

Details// New York, New York — Details// New York, New York

The Masters of Russ and Daughters// New York, New York — The Masters of Russ and Daughters// New York, New York

PHILADELPHIA

TGV// Philadelphia, Pennsylvania — TGV// Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

City Hall// Philadelphia, Pennsylvania — City Hall// Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Christmas Time// Philadephia, Pennsylvania — Christmas Time// Philadephia, Pennsylvania

Aunt Sis's Pecan Tassies

BY VIRGINIA RAYWOOD
This recipe makes two dozen, but can be easily doubled to make four dozen. The pastry can be made ahead of time and refrigerated or frozen until the cookies are ready to be baked. The cookies also freeze very well.

PASTRY
3 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup flour, sifted
Mix together cream cheese and butter until creamed. Stir in flour and form into ball of dough. Wrap in wax paper or plastic wrap and chill slightly in fridge (like you would pie dough).
When ready to bake, break off pieces of dough and form into 1" balls by rolling between hands. Place balls into cups of mini muffin pan that has been lightly sprayed with non-stick spray (PAM, etc.) Press dough into shape of cup using thumb or shot glass, or anything else that fits the shape. There is a small wooden mallet that makes this part much easier to do, and if you have one or can get one I suggest using it. The wooden mallet needs to be dipped into some flour before each pressing.

PECAN FILLING
1 large egg
3/4 cups dark brown sugar (or you can mix half dark brown and half light brown sugar together if you want)
1 tsp. vanilla
2/3 cup coarsely broken pecans (I never measure the nuts, so you may need more or less)

Fill cups about half way with pecans. Mix together egg, sugar and vanilla. Add to pecans in cup. (I have a pitcher that has a funnel type spout on it that works very well ) Fill cup until about 3/4 full. DO NOT OVERFILL. If you overfill, the cookies will not pop out of the pan when done.
Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Let sit in pan for about 5 minutes before turning out. I set out a cookie sheet or tray and put a flat brown paper bag or some newspaper on it then top that with a layer or two of paper towels and pop out the cookies on that to cool. I guess you could also use cookie cooling racks. Enjoy!

Cocoa Brownie Cookies

February 9, 2015

This is an outrageously decadent recipe, that will perfume the house with a chocolate. It's no secret that I've been cooking for the gluten free crowd these days and have really been having a good time figuring out solutions in the baking department. I'm a big fan of cocoa and I sorta feel like it's a health food (if you forget about all the sugar) and these brownie cookies are a real treat. The egg whites help give body to the cookie, sorta like a meringue. Chopped nuts, a dash of espresso or chocolate liquor make these cookies simply irresistible.

Cocoa Brownie Cookies

Equipment

2 parchment lined cookie sheets

Large bowl

Whisk

Spatula

Ingredients

3 cups powdered sugar

¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 egg whites

1 egg

4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped

3 tablespoons cacao nibs

Makes about 2 dozen

Preheat to 350°. Whisk powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and salt in a large bowl, then whisk in egg whites and whole egg; fold in chopped chocolate and cacao nibs. Spoon batter by the tablespoonful onto cookie sheets, spacing about 2” apart.

Bake, rotating cookie sheets about halfway through (back to front, front to back, top to bottom) until cookies are puffed, cracked, and set, about 14–16 minutes.

Transfer cookie sheets to wire racks and let cookies cool on pan for about 5 minutes. Enjoy on it's own or if you dare, with vanilla ice cream!

Almond & Orange Tea Cake

January 27, 2015

Recipes run through my head a lot. I'll get an idea about something and then my imagination just takes over. I start thinking about all the different approaches I could take, flavors that go together and then I start looking up recipes. It's both a blessing and a curse.

This obsession, however, led me to make several different versions of an almond and orange tea cake, with the following being my favorite. This recipe also happens to be gluten-free with the use of almond meal, which is a lovely flour replacement, and it doesn't have any of those chalky flavors I find with many of the gluten-free flour replacements. A cup of almonds meal is a cup of almonds, simple as that!

Almond & Orange Tea Cake

Equipment needed:
Food processor or blender
Large mixing bowl
9" Cake pan

Ingredients:
2 large seedless honeybell oranges*
6 eggs
1 1/2 cup ground almonds*
pinch salt
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
whipped cream (optional)

1. Wash the oranges and cover them with water in a medium sized pot. Boil until soft, about 30 minutes.

2.Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

3. In a food processor puree the oranges until smooth, removing any seeds you may find.

4. In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs until thick and add the orange puree, ground almonds, salt, sugar and baking power. Mix well.

5. Grease a 9 inch cake pan and pour batter into pan. Bake for an hour or until the center is firm to the touch. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
Serve with whipped cream and enjoy!
*Navel Oranges or Clementines work well too! If grinding your own almonds, simply do so in your blender or food processor before you add the boiled oranges.

Sweet Potato Pecan Pie with Gingersnap Crust

November 30, 2014

I haven't had a oven to bake in for quite some time. I was to say the least, giddy to make dessert for our second Thanksgiving with my extended family. This recipe was a combination of a couple of different recipes I've had twirling around in my head. The crust is a simple crumb crust made from some gluten free gingersnaps my folks had and oodles of chopped roasted pecans all held together with a generous portion of good butter. I had it in my head that I wanted some chocolate ganache in the mix too so I melted down some dark chocolate, and of course, more butter. I layered that on top of the gingersnap crust and let that set while I prepared the filling. You can also substitute any other winter squash for the sweet potatoes. I suspect that sugar pumpkin, butternut or kuri squash would all be tasty.

Sweet Potato Pecan Pie with Ginger Snap Crust

Crust

1 3/4 cups gingersnap crumbs, about a dozen cookies

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup toasted pecans, chopped

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted

Chocolate Ganache (optional)

1 cup dark chocolate chip

2 tablespoons butter

In a medium bowl, combine the gingersnap crumbs, sugar and pecans. In a 10 inch pie/tart pan, press gingersnap mixture into the pan, pushing the crust up the sides of the pan. Set aside. In a double boiler, melt dark chocolate and butter in a pan until smooth. Pour chocolate over crust and put in the refrigerator.

Filing

2 cups mashed cooked sweet potatoes, from 2 medium sweet potatoes

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon clove

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup unsalted butter

1 1/4 cup (10 ounces) evaporated milk, divided

1/3 cup granulated sugar

3 large eggs

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 a vanilla bean, scrapped

1 1/2 cup pecans

Preheat oven to 375. Peel the sweet potatoes and and dice into chunks. In a large pot add the sweet potatoes and cover with water and bring to a boil. Boil until soft, about 15 minutes. Drain into a colander. In the same pot, combine the potato pieces, brown sugar, spices, salt, butter and half the evaporated milk. Over a low flame, mash mixture until smooth. Remove from heat.

In another bowl whisk together the remaining evaporated milk, granulated sugar, eggs and vanilla. Pour over potato mixture. In the prepared pie pan, pour sweet potato mixture over the crust. Layer the pecans atop of the filling in a circular manor. On a baking sheet, bake for 15 minutes and then reduce heat to 325 and bake for an additional 25 minutes or until the pie is cook through. Gently shake the baking sheet and if the pie still jiggles, cook for an additional 10 minutes until firm.

Coconut Honey Granola

August 21, 2014

Granola, a longed hippy favorite popularized by Woodstock, is a healthy alternative to cereal. I love this granola as a road trip snack or quick breakfast. This recipe is also very basic and you can use whatever you may have on hand, almonds are my favorite, but walnuts or cashew too work well. Sunflower seeds and pepitas are also a great way to bulk up your granola. If you don't have the old fashioned rolled oats, in a pinch you can use quick oats. The key to a top notch granola is all in the brown sugar/honey and oil mixture. Toast your oats with your sugar/oil mixture and a crispy snack will be yours! Play with different combinations to make this granola your own.

Coconut Honey Granola

makes about 5 cups

1/2 cup almond, chopped

1/2 cup sunflower seeds

3 cups whole rolled oats

handful unsweetened coconut chips, roughly 1/2 cup

1/2 tsp salt

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup honey or maple syrup

3 tablespoons coconut oil

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

1/8 tsp almond extract

1 cup craisins/raisins or chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. On a large sheet pan with sides, lined with parchment paper, combine oats, salt, brown sugar, almonds and sunflower seeds. In a sauce pan combine honey & coconut oil, stir to dissolve and add extracts. Pour over oat mixture and toss into a thin layer. Bake for 5 minutes and stir. Bake until golden (roughly 5/10 minutes). Once cool, add craisins. Store in an airtight container. Bon appetit!