Wintergreens with Roasted Beets, Fennel & Gorgonzola with Apple Cider Vinaigrette

Ingredients

Salad:
3-4 medium red or golden beets
4-5 handfuls of spinach, washed
4-5 handfuls winter greens: arugula, chicory, or curly endive, washed and torn into bite-size pieces
2 medium heads fennel, washed
8 oz. Gorgonzola, crumbled
½ cup roasted walnuts, broken into pieces ** see tips & tricks 

Vinaigrette:
1T Dijon mustard
4T apple cider vinegar
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper

1.    Preheat oven 350º F.
2.    Line a baking sheet with foil.  Place the beets on the sheet and roast uncovered for 40-50 minutes, or until the beets are soft to the touch.

3.    Once the beets are cool enough to handle, peel them.

4.    Then dice into medium size dice.

5.    Using a knife cut remove the fennel fronds, discard or save for another use. Cut the fennel bulb in half, carefully remove the core and slice the fennel into thin slices

6.    Vinaigrette: In a small bowl, whisk together the mustard and vinegar.  Slowly add the olive oil in a steady stream, whisking constantly until emulsified.  Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

7.    In a large bowl, place the greens and fennel and toss with the vinaigrette; season with salt and pepper, as needed to taste.

8.    Place the dressed leaves on a platter or individual plates.  Sprinkle the beets and cheese on top of the greens.  Top with the toasted walnuts.
9.    Serve immediately.

TIPS AND TRICKS

•    To roast nuts; preheat oven 350º F.Place nuts on a baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes. Shake the pan and continue baking until nuts are toasted, about 3-5 minutes more.  Allow them to cool . Can be store in an air tight container for weeks.
•    Your clean hands are the best salad tongs! Don’t over dress your salad. You don’t want drown it. You can also add more dressing later. Always dress the salad right before serving
•    Roasted beets can last in refrigerator 2weeks. 
•    You can change this salad buy altering the cheese (blue, fete, and goat. The vinegar (raspberry, balsamic, and champagne) and the nuts (roasted almond, walnuts) 

Roasted Chicken & Vegetables with Rosemary & Preserved Lemon

Ingredients

2 medium yellow onions
4-6 medium carrots
2 heads fennel, frons removed
1 pound Yukon gold potatoes, wash
Two chickens, about 4-5 pounds each
2 tsp each: sea salt and black pepper, mixed together
2 preserved lemons, flesh & skin cut into small dice ** recipe attached
several sprigs fresh rosemary
4T olive oil
1 cup chicken stock
kitchen twine

1.    Preheat oven to 425º F.
2.    Peel and cut the carrots into thick slices about 1inch thick and onions into quarters. Set aside.

3.    Cut the potatoes and fennel into quarters Set aside. 

4.    Wash and pat dry chickens.  Rub the outside of bird with 2 tablespoons of olive oil.

5.    Carefully separate the skin from the breast meat; rub the salt & pepper mixture underneath the skin and all over the birds.  Place ¼ of 1 lemon and a sprig of rosemary under each side under the skin. Place the remaining ½ lemon and a sprig of rosemary in cavity.

6.    Tuck the wings behind the “shoulders”. 

7.    Truss with kitchen twine.  Repeat with the other chicken.

8.    Lay the chickens on their tummy on a rack in roasting pan. Add stock and the vegetables to the pan and roast the chickens in 425º F oven for 20 minutes.  

9.    Turn chickens to their side, and roast for 20 minutes.  Turn chicken to other side, and roast for 20 minutes. 

10.     Place chicken on their backs, baste with juices, and roast for about 20 minutes more or until internal temperature is 170° F

11.    Transfer the chickens to a platter, cover loosely with foil, and let rest for 15 minutes.

12.    Carve the chicken and place on a plate or platter top with the roasted vegetables and pan drippings. 

TIPS AND TRICKS

•    Always roast 2 chickens. They make great leftovers. 
•    Trussing the chickens makes it cook more evenly and is easier to turn.
•    I remove the cooked rosemary sprigs before serving but stir the chopped cooked lemons into the vegetables. 

Apple & Walnut Crostata

Ingredients

Pastry:
1½ cup all-purpose flour
8T butter, cut into cubes and cold
¼ tsp. salt
1 tsp. granulated sugar
8T iced, cold water

Filling:
 3-4 medium size apples (about 1½ pounds): (gala, pink lady, or pipen)
2T brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
¼ cup raisins
¼ cup walnuts, roughly chopped
1 egg, beaten
2T turbinado or Demerara sugar

1.    Pastry: In a food processor, add the flour, salt, and sugar; pulse a few times until combined.  

2.    Add the butter and then pulse until the mixture has bits of butter the size of peas.  

3.    Add the cold water and pulse just until the mixture starts to come together. Dump the dough onto a large piece of plastic film: use the plastic to bring the dough together.  

4.    Flatten into a disk and chill at least 1 hour.

5.    Preheat oven to 400° F. If you have a pizza stone, place it on a rack in the middle of the oven.

6.    On a lightly floured surface, roll dough out into a circle about 14 inches in diameter,

6b. Transfer the dough to a parchment-lined baking sheet pan.  Place in refrigerator for 10 minutes.

7.    Fruit: Peel and cut the apples into slices. Place in a medium size bowl and toss with brown sugar, cinnamon, raisins and nuts.

8.    Remove the pastry from the refrigerator. Pile the apple nut mixture on the dough, leaving a 2-inch border. Fold the dough border over the fruit, making pleats and making sure that there are no holes.  

9.    Brush with beaten egg and sprinkle with turbinado sugar.

10.    Place the baking sheet into a 400° oven directly on the pizza stone for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown, until brown. 

11.    Carefully pull on the parchment paper to remove the crostata from the baking sheet and place onto a cooling rack; cool for 15-20 minutes before slicing. Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.  

Tips & Tricks:

• Pastry can be made 3 days ahead and kept in refrigerator. Place disc into a ziplock bag and freeze.  It freezes beautifully up to 3 months. Defrost in refrigerator overnight.
• Use any firm apple that is your favorite or in season.
• Use regular or golden raisins. 
• You can also use different nuts; almonds, pecans or hazelnuts are delicious.
• The turbinado or demerara sugar adds a nice sweet crunch to the pastry. 
• Baking the crostata on a pizza stone helps the crust brown and keep crispy. 
• The crostata is best served warm to room temperature. 

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Apple & Walnut Crostata

by Nancy Madok October-10-2017

Apple & Walnut Crostata

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 Cup All Purpose Flour
• 8T Butter, Cut into cubes and cold
• 1tsp Salt
• 1 tsp Granulated Sugar
• 8T Iced, Cold Water
• 4 Medium Medium Sized Apples About 1 1/2 Pounds - Gala, Pink Lady, or Pipen
• 2T Brown Sugar
• 1tsp Cinnamon
• 1/4 Cup Raisins
• 1/4 Cup Walnuts Roughly Chopped
• 1 Egg Beaten
• 2T Turbinado or Demerara Sugar

Instructions

Pastry: In a food processor, add the flour, salt, and sugar; pulse a few times until combined. Add the butter and then pulse until the mixture has bits of butter the size of peas. Add the cold water and pulse just until the mixture starts to come together. Dump the dough onto a large piece of plastic film; use the plastic to bring the dough together. Flatten into a disk and chill at least 1 hour. Preheat oven to 400° F. If you have a pizza stone, place it on a rack in the middle of the oven.On a lightly floured surface, roll dough out into a circle about 14 inches in diameter, then transfer the dough to a parchment-lined baking sheet pan. Place in refrigerator for 10 minutes. Fruit: Peel and cut the apples into slices. Place in a medium size bowl and toss with brown sugar, cinnamon, raisins and nuts. Remove the pastry from the refrigerator. Pile the apple nut mixture on the dough, leaving a 2-inch border. Fold the dough border over the fruit, making pleats and making sure that there are no holes. Brush with beaten egg and sprinkle with turbinado sugar. 20 minutes, until brown. Carefully pull on the parchment paper to remove the crostata from the baking sheet and place onto a cooling rack; cool for 15-20 minutes before slicing. Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. TIPS AND TRICKSPastry can be made 3 days ahead and kept in refrigerator. It freezer beautiful up to 3 months. Use any firm apple that is your favorite or in season.Use regular or golden raisins. You can also use different nuts; almonds, pecans or hazelnuts are delicious.The turbinado or demerara sugar adds a nice sweet crunch to the pastry. Baking the crostata on a pizza stone helps the crust brown and keep crispy. The crostata is best served warm to room temperature.

Details

Prep time: 1 hour Cook time: 20 mins Total time: 1 hour 20 mins Yield: 8