Winter Vegetable Tarte Tatin

Ingredients

2 large carrots, peeled, sliced into ½” rounds
2 large parsnips, peeled, sliced into ½” rounds
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled, sliced into ½” rounds
2 medium Yukon gold potatoes, washed, sliced into ½” rounds
1 medium onion, peeled, sliced into half moons.
2T olive oil
1 tsp. salt
4-5 grinds black pepper

½ cup granulated sugar
1T apple cider or red wine vinegar
5 oz. goat cheese, crumbled
2T fresh sage, chopped
2T fresh thyme leaves

1 sheet puff pastry, defrosted
flour for dusting

1. Pre-heat oven to 400° F.

2. Place the carrots, parsnips, and potatoes into a large bowl and toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread the vegetables onto a baking sheet (or two) in a single layer

3. Toss the onion in the bowl with the residual oil and place on the baking sheet.

4. Roast the vegetables for about 25-35 minutes, until slightly soft. Set aside.

5. On your kitchen counter, roll out the puff pastry into a 9” x13” square. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and refrigerator until ready to use.

6. Increase the oven temperature to 425° F. Set a 9” x 13” baking pan aside.

7. Place a small saucepan over medium heat; add the sugar, and 2 tablespoons of water. Swirl the pan around until the mixture becomes a light caramel color; about 4-6 minutes.

8. Remove from heat and immediately add the vinegar and a pinch of salt; stir until combined. Carmel will sputter and spatter, so be careful.

9. Working quickly, pour into the 9” x 13” pan and spread the caramel all over the bottom of the pan.

10. Place the roasted vegetables on top of the caramel in a snug decorative pattern, using smaller pieces to fill up any holes or spaces. You may have extra veggies, save for another use.

11. Sprinkle the onions, goat cheese, sage and 1 tablespoon of the thyme on top of the vegetables.

12. Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator, fold the edges under and press the dough down on top of the vegetables. Prick the pastry all over with a fork.

13. Place in 425˚ F oven and bake for 20 minutes, reduce the temperature to 375˚ F and bake an additional 20 minutes until golden brown. Do not open the door while baking.

14. Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes before carefully inverting the tart onto a serving dish or cutting board.

15. Sprinkle the remaining tablespoon of thyme on top and let the tart sit another 5-10 minutes before cutting into squares and serving.

TIPS & TRICKS

• You can roast the vegetables a day or two in advance.

• When you pour the caramel into the pan if it doesn’t spread out all the way to the edges, place the pan on the stove over low heat for a few second to remelt the sugar. Be careful the pan get very hot quickly!!

• The tart can be prepared up to step #11 early in the day and left on the counter and then continue the recipe closer to serving.

• The tart is best served warm to room temperature.

• You could use any combination of the vegetables you like and could substitute goat cheese with blue cheese or feta cheese.

Candied Glazed Butternut Squash

Ingredients

3T butter, room temperature
¾ cup granulated sugar
1tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. nutmeg
¼ tsp. cloves
1 tsp. salt
black pepper
5 lbs. butternut squash, (8 cups)
½ cup toasted walnuts, rough chopped

1. Preheat oven to 400º F.

2. To cut the squash cut it in half, then run the knife down the sides to remove the skin. Scoop out the seeds then cut into 1/2inch cubes.

3.In a large bowl, combine the butter, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, salt and 4 -5 grinds of black pepper. Mix until combined into a paste.

4. Add the butternut squash and toss until well coated.

5. Spread the squash onto a baking sheet in a single layer and roast until caramelized and soft, about 35-45 minutes. Turn once during cooking.

6. Transfer the cooked squash and candied glaze on to a platter and top with walnuts. Serve.

• 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. Let them cool. The roasted nuts can be store in an airtight container for weeks.

TIPS & TRICKS

• You can cut up the squash 3 days before baking and place in zip lock bag or container. You can purchase precut squash. 2 pounds of precut squash yields about 8 cups. You may need to cut the pieces into small cubes.

• You can prepare the squash in the morning and then reheat it right before serving.

• Pumpkin, acorn squash, carrots and sweet potato are also divine candied.

• Pecans, almonds or hazelnuts work well.

Bourbon Pan Gravy

Ingredients

4T butter
4T flour
3¾ cups stock or pan dripping (skim off fat)
¼ cup bourbon
1T flat leaf parsley, chopped
salt and pepper

1. In a saucepan over low heat, melt the butter; add the flour and stir constantly. Cook until light brown and smells like toast, approximately 2-3 minutes.

2. Add pan stock/drippings and bourbon while stirring. Turn the heat to medium high and cook until slightly thick, approximately another 4-6 minutes.

3. Season with salt and pepper to taste and add parsley.

TIPS & TRICKS

• This gravy is meant to be on the thin side, the idea is that it will be poured over the turkey and stuffing to warm them up.

• If you prefer a thicker gravy increase the butter and flour by 1 tablespoon each.

Apple, Walnut, & Sausage Stuffing

Ingredients

2 baguettes, cut into ½” cubes (10-12 cups)
1-pound sausage
4T olive oil
2 large onions, peeled and medium dice
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1½ cups celery, medium dice (6 large stalks)
1 ½ cups apple, medium dice (1 large apple)
2 cup (8 oz.) mushrooms, washed and sliced
1½-cup chicken stock
½ cup white wine
3T fresh sage, chopped
1 T fresh thyme leaves
1cup toasted walnuts* rough chop
2 eggs, beaten
salt & pepper

1. Put the bread cubes on a baking sheet and let them dry completely; dry overnight or place in a 350° F oven for 10 minutes.

2. In a large size sauté pan over medium heat, heat 2T of the olive oil; add the sausage. Using a spoon, break it into pieces and cook until brown. Remove the sausage from the pan with a slotted spoon and place into a large bowl.

3. If needed, add the remaining 2T olive oil to the pan (you may have enough oil left from cooking the sausage); and sauté the onions for 2–3 minutes, then add the garlic cook and another minute. Add the celery, apple and mushrooms. Continue cooking until slightly softened, about 5-8 minutes.

4. To the large bowl with the sausage, add the bread cubes, sautéed vegetables, chicken stock, wine, sage, thyme, and walnuts. Mix until well combined. Taste and season with salt & pepper, then add the eggs and fold them into the stuffing. The stuffing mixture should look moist, but not have puddles of liquid. If too dry, add a little more wine or stock.

5. Stuffing can be used to stuff turkey or place in a baking dish, cover with foil and bake in a 350° F oven until hot, about 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for additional 5-10 minutes to brown and crisp up stuffing.

*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. Let them cool. The roasted nuts can be store in an airtight container for weeks.

TIPS & TRICKS

• You can cube and dry out your bread ahead of time. Store in an air tight containers. It can also be frozen.

• If the sausage is in a casing, remove it. I like to use Italian sweet pork, but you could also use chicken or turkey sausage.

• You can also do step #1 to #3 ahead of time or can be frozen.

Perfectly Roasted Turkey

Ingredients

1 14-16 pound turkey
1T dried sage
3 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
3 slices bacon, cut in half
fresh thyme & sage leaves
olive oil
3 cups chicken stock

1. Wash the turkey inside and out, removing the little bag of goodies.

2. Pat the turkey dry.

3. In a small bowl, combine the dry sage, salt and pepper

4. Using your fingers, separate the skin from the breast meat. Sprinkle with spice blend. Place 3 half slices of bacon, thyme, and sage leaves under the skin of each breast.

5. Rub the bird with olive oil, then rub with spice `mixture.

6. Let stand on the counter for 1 hour.

7. Preheat oven to 425° F.

8. Loosely stuff the cavity of the turkey with stuffing, not too stuffed.

9. Place the stuffed turkey on the rack in a roasting pan, and then pour the stock into the pan.

10. Place uncovered turkey in a preheated 425º F oven for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, cover the roasting pan with foil. Using potholders, crimp and press the foil into the edges of the pan making a tight seal and return to oven and reduce the heat to 350º F and continue roasting for 3-3½ more hours.

11. Check the internal temperature; it should be 160-165º F deep in breast. If it is not 165º F, recover with the foil and continue cooking, checking every 30 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 160-165º F.

12. Remove foil; baste with pan drippings, if necessary place back in oven and brown an additional 5-10 minutes. Remove from the oven.

13. Rest the turkey at least 30 minutes before carving. The turkey will remain warm for about 1½ hours

14. To carve the turkey, remove the stuffing, then use a carving knife; remove the leg and thigh. Then separate the leg from the thigh. Remove the meat from the bones and slice into bite-size chunks and place on platter. Repeat with other leg.

15. Cut down the breastbone to remove the breast meat from the bone. Remove the bacon and herbs from under the skin. Slice into slices of the desired thickness and place on platter. Repeat with other side. Enjoy!

TIPS & TRICKS

• I wash the turkey (step #2) the night before then place in a clean garbage bag.

• On Thanksgiving Day, 6 hours before serving, I take the turkey out of the refrigerator and start the recipe from step #3. This allows the turkey to sit an hour on the counter. Then 4 hours to roast and an additional hour in case it needs longer roasting time and time to rest before carving.

• The cooked turkey can sit up 1½ hour before carving. The meat will still be warm. Serve with plenty of hot gravy.

Pumpkin Spice Crème Brûlée

Ingredients

3 cups heavy whipping cream
½ cup granulated sugar
5 egg yolks
1 can (15oz. pure pumpkin)
1T vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. nutmeg
½ tsp. ginger
½ cup granulated sugar (for topping)

1. Pre-heat the oven to 325° F. Place oven rack in center of the oven.

2. Place ten ¾ cup ramekins in a large ceramic or metal roasting pan. (you may need 2 pans)

3. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the cream, and sugar. Let the sugar dissolve; heat the mixture until its come to a simmer.

4. Bring a teakettle or a saucepan full of water to a boil and set aside.

5. In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks, pumpkin, vanilla and spices until blended. Slowly add the hot cream mixture and whisk until well blended.

6. Pour the mixture into each ramekin to about ¾ full. Place the roasting pan holding the ramekins onto the oven rack, and then fill the pan with enough hot water to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins, being careful not to get any water into the custard. Bake the custard until the center is almost set, about 30-35 minutes.

7. Remove ramekins from the pan, place on a cooling tray, and cool for 30 minutes. Place into refrigerator and chill at least 4 hours.

8. When ready to serve, sprinkle 1-2 teaspoon of sugar onto the top of the custard in each ramekin. Using a blowtorch or the broiler, melt the sugar until bubbly and light brown, but be careful not to burn the sugar. Serve!

TIPS & TRICKS

• Pour the pumpkin mixture back into the measuring cup for easy filling of the ramekins.

• If you use ½ cup ramekins and the recipe yield 12 serving.

• You can make the custard 3 days is advance.

• Freeze the egg whites for another use.

• Place the pan with the filled ramekins in the over before filling the pan with hot water.

• Use a kitchen towel to careful grab the cooked custard and remove them from the water.