Thank God It's All Over!

The last two months have been crazy with Sookie's illness and work and this insane city during the Holiday's.  We got through Xmas last weekend with Tim's family and dragged two cat crates and two suitcases upstate on the train.  I have never looked forward to a week with being snowed in and nothing to do but eat, read, watch movies and ignore the rest of the world.

We spent Xmas eve with our neighbor's M & M and a combination of city folk and locals and it was wonderful.  Delicious dinner and the nicest group of people.

Xmas day, Tim, myself, Sookie and Burns - our little family - made a white trash breakfast - frozen tator tots, brown and serve sausages and an omelet of eggs and Pecorino cheese.  We opened presents and spent the day watching movies, napping on the sofa and smothering affection on our two cats.  We made an amazing dinner of roast pork with an assortment of incredible side dishes. We haven't been able to cook for weeks so we felt spoiled.  Dinner and dvd's and cats napping - a perfect Xmas day.  

Pork Roast with Carmelized Apples

PORK ROAST WITH APPLES

1 Pork roast ( 4 pounds)

Coarse salt and ground pepper

4 Gala or Fuji apples, halved

3/4 cup dry white wine, such as Chardonnay

1. Let pork sit at room temperature 30 minutes.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Season pork with salt and pepper.  In a large roasting pan, arrange apples, cut side down, in two rows in center of pan.  Place pork, fat side up, on top of apples.  Add wine and 1 cup water to pan.  Roast until pork is golden and an instant-read thermometer into center reads 145 degrees, 1 to 1 3/4 hours.  Transfer pork and apples to a platter.  Loosely tent pork with foil and let rest 30 minutes.  Cut roast into slices and serve with apples. 

Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes

TWICE -BAKED SWEET POTATOES

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Prick 5 medium sweet potatoes ( about 3 pounds) all over with a fork.  Place on a large piece of foil on a baking sheet; fold foil around sweet potatoes to form a packet.  Bake until tender when pierced with a knife, about 1 hour.

2. When cool enough to handle, halve sweet potatoes lengthwise.  Scoop out all but 1/4 inch flesh from inside skins.  Arrange 8 skins in a single layer in a 9 x 13 inch baking dish ( discard remaining 2 skins).  Place flesh in a food processor , along with 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, and 4 ounces fresh goat cheese; season with coarse salt and ground pepper.  Process until smooth, 2 minutes.  Add 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives and pulse to combine; spoon into skins.

3. In a small bowl, stir together 1/4 cup chopped pecans, 1/4 cup Panko ( Japanese breadcrumbs), and 2 tablespoons butter, room temperature, until combined; season with salt and pepper.  Sprinkle Panko mixture over sweet potatoes.  Bake until toppings are golden.  10 to 12 minutes.  

Buttermilk-Cornmeal Biscuits with Honey-Butter

BUTTERMILK-CORNMEAL DROP BISCUITS WITH HONEY BUTTER

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour ( spooned and leveled )

3/4 cup yellow cornmeal

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon fine salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, plus 1/4 cup (1/2 stick), room temperature

1 cup buttermilk

5 tablespoons honey

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees with racks in upper and lower thirds.  In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal , baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  With a pastry cutter or your fingers, cut in 1/2 cup cold butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs with a few pea-size pieces remaining.  In a small bowl, whisk together buttermilk and 3 tablespoons honey.  Add to flour mixture and stir with a fork until dough just comes together.  (Dough will be slightly sticky ; do not over-mix.)  With two large spoons, drop 10 mounds of dough, 2 inches apart, on two parchment -lined baking sheets.

2. Bake until biscuits are golden, 15 to 20 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through.  Transfer biscuits on parchment to wire racks and let cool.  Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix 1/4 cup butter and 2 tablespoons honey until combined. Serve honey butter with biscuits.  

Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Figs

BRUSSEL SPROUTS WITH BACON AND FIGS

1. Cut bacon in small pieces and brown in saute pan.

2. Chop figs and add to bacon and saute.

3. Shred Brussels sprouts in food processor and add to bacon and figs.

4. Saute together and then add balsamic vinegar for taste.  

Mushroom and Leek Gratin

MUSHROOM AND LEEK GRATIN

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil over medium - high. Working in batches if necessary, add 2 pounds large portobello mushrooms (6 to 8), stemmed and sliced 1/2 inch thick, and cook, tossing occasionally, until softened, 10 to 15 minutes.  Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate.

2. Wipe out skillet, return to heat, and add 2 tablespoons  oil.  Add 2 leeks (white and light-green parts only), cut into 1/4-inch -thick half-moons and rinsed, and season with coarse salt and ground pepper.  Cook, stirring frequently, until softened, 8 minutes.  Add 1/4 cup dry white wine, such as Chardonnay and cook until almost evaporated, 2 to 3 minutes.  Stir in 3/4 cup heavy cream , 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves.

3. Transfer leek mixture to a 2 quart baking dish.  Layer with 2 ounces finely grated Parmesan.  Top with mushroom slices, overlapping slightly.  Sprinkle additional 2 ounces finely grated Parmesan cheese and bake until edges are bubbling, 20 to 25 minutes.  Serve warm. 

Farming Bovina and The Bovina Public Library Holiday Event

The dinner event held at the Bovina Historic Town Hall which promoted the Farming Bovina Group and proceeds which benefitted the Bovina Public Library was a complete success.  Hundreds of people showed up which really helped us achieve our financial goals for the evening.  Thanks to everyone who supported the event and to all those who made it a success - the committee,  the cooks, the bakers, the entertainment, and all those who attended.  It was a great evening!