Cooler days, the kids back in school…it’s prime time for cozying up the kitchen with some home cooking. How about trying a few of those fall veggies you’re seeing at the farmers market?
(photo Lisa Barber, via The Independent, UK)
In our Kitchen & Bath issue, we went directly to the top for some inspiring recipes: writer Lila Ashmore asked chef Jay Baxter of the Arkansas Governor’s Mansion for a few of the first family’s favorites. (Did you know there’s a wonderful garden on the mansion grounds, tended to lovingly and expertly by the Pulaski County Master Gardeners? )
First Family Favorites
Recipes from chef Jay Baxter, Arkansas Governor’s Mansion
Beet, Goat Cheese and Pistachio Pinwheels
Ingredients:
1 T. olive oil
3 fresh beets (trimmed and scrubbed clean)
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 pkg. small flour tortillas
1 cup goat cheese (herbed is preferable)
1 8 oz. pkg. fat free cream cheese (room temp.)
1 tsp. lemon juice
2 T. chopped fresh chives
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. black pepper
1/4 cup shelled pistachios
Recipe:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toss clean beets in olive oil, place on a cookie sheet and sprinkle with coarse salt. Place in oven and bake until tender, approx. 30-45 minutes. Pierce with a fork or knife to determine tenderness. When fully cooked, remove from oven and let cool. Meanwhile, in a food processor bowl, combine cheeses, lemon juice, chives, garlic powder and pepper. Blend until smooth and spreadable. Add pistachios and pulse for a few seconds. When beets have cooled, slice as thinly as possible into chips. Microwave flour tortillas in package until hot and pliable, 30 seconds to 1 minute. One at a time, remove tortilla from package and cover with cheese mixture to desired thickness; 1/8 to 1/4 inch is best. Next place beet chips on top of cheese mixture, covering completely, and roll up as tightly as possible. Repeat with remaining ingredients until finished. Place rolls in refrigerator and chill for at least 1 hour. Slice into pinwheels of desired thickness. Bite sized or small sushi roll size is best.
Sage and Rosemary Roasted Autumn Vegetables
Ingredients:
1 cup butternut squash (peeled and seeded)
1 cup pumpkin (peeled and seeded)
2 beets (scrubbed clean)
1 shallot (peeled)
3 cloves garlic
2-3 carrots (scrubbed clean)
2-3 parsnips (scrubbed clean)
1 cup fresh chopped sage
3-4 rosemary sprigs
2 T. olive oil
1 T. black pepper
1½ T. kosher salt
Recipe:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slice all vegetables into bite size pieces, leaving carrots and parsnips long. Slice lengthwise if needed. Keep vegetables around the same size so they cook in the same amount of time. Toss veggies with olive oil, sage and rosemary. Place in a baking dish and add 1/4 cup water. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place in oven and bake for approx. 1 hour, turning about every 20 minutes.
Garden Fresh Spinach and Feta Puffs
Ingredients:
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 cup tightly packed fresh spinach
1 tsp. flour
1/4 cup feta crumbles
10 canned jumbo biscuits
Recipe:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place all ingredients in a food processor bowl and pulse until well incorporated. Place dough on a lightly floured surface and roll out to 1/2-inch thickness. Cut with a biscuit cutter and place biscuits on a lightly greased cookie sheet; spray canola oil works fine. (Cut the dough into squares to have zero waste.) Bake biscuits in a hot oven until light golden, 15-25 minutes. Serve hot.
(photos courtesy of the Pulaski County Master Gardeners and Arkansas Governor’s Mansion)
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