As promised, today we are giving you every recipe you need to recreate the fresh and fun holiday meal from our November entertaining story. The party was hosted by Daniel Keeley, and chef Jen Lewis created the menu. Follow this link to read the article and see images from the party. Enjoy!
Vanilla Old Fashioned
Ingredients
1 one-inch piece of vanilla bean, split
1 one-inch piece of orange zest
1/4 ounce simple syrup
¼ ounce of Tuaca liqueur
2 dashes orange bitters
2 ounces bourbon
ice
1 orange wheel
Directions
In a rocks glass, muddle the vanilla bean and orange zest with the Simple Syrup and bitters. Add the bourbon and ice, stir and garnish with the orange wheel.
Blue Cheese, Fig, & Walnut Tartlets
Ingredients
3 ounces blue cheese
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup fig jam
1/3 cup walnuts, toasted and roughly chopped
1 orange, for zesting
fresh thyme leaves (optional)
Equipment
Mini-muffin pans
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease the cups of the mini muffin pans, unless you’re using non-stick pans. In a medium bowl, cream together the blue cheese and butter. Add the flour and use your hands to bring the dough together in the bowl. Divide the dough into 30 pieces and roll into balls. (If you prefer a more delicate shell, divide the dough into 36 pieces.) Using lightly floured fingers evenly press the dough against the sides of the mini tart pan until the dough rises slightly above the rim of the muffin cup. Bake for 15 minutes, until golden brown. Cool in pans for 5 minutes. Remove shells to a wire rack to finish cooling. Store cooled shells in an airtight container until ready to use. (They freeze well, too. Bake frozen shells for 8 minutes at 325°F before filling.) Spoon jam into cooled tartlet shells. Sprinkle with toasted walnuts, orange zest, and thyme leaves if using. Makes 2 1/2 – 3 dozen.
Pumpkin & Sage Soup
Ingredients
2 whole pie pumpkins
1 quart vegetable or chicken stock
1/2 cup heavy cream (plus extra for serving)
1/3 cup maple syrup
dash of nutmeg
salt to taste
1 Tablespoon of chopped sage
pumpkins seeds, toasted
fried sage leaves, for serving
Directions
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Place pumpkins on a cookie sheet and roast them until slightly shriveled and soft. Allow to cool slightly, then slice in half and carefully scoop out seeds and pulp. Scoop flesh into a bowl. Set aside.
In a pot, heat up the pumpkin flesh with the stock, chopped sage and maple syrup until simmering. Mash out the big chunks, then transfer the mixture to a blender or food processor (or use an immersion blender) and puree until velvety smooth. Add cream and nutmeg, then blend again.
Reheat if you need to, or just go ahead and serve in a hollowed-out pumpkin of whatever size you’d like.
Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Ingredients
2 oz. pancetta, cut into 1/4-inch dice (about 1/2 cup)
1 to 2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
10 oz. Brussels sprouts (about 18 medium sprouts), trimmed and halved through the core
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 clove of garlic minced
½ tsp of herbs de provence
Freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbs. unsalted butter
Kosher salt
Directions
In a heavy, 10-inch, straight-sided sauté pan set over medium-low heat, slowly cook the pancetta in 1 Tbs. of the oil until golden and crisp all over, 10 to 15 minutes.
With a slotted spoon, transfer the pancetta to a plate lined with paper towels, leaving the fat behind. You should have about 2 Tbs. of fat in the pan; if not, add the remaining 1 Tbs. oil. Have ready 1/2 cup water. Put the pan over medium-high heat and arrange the sprouts cut side down in a single layer. Add garlic. Cook, undisturbed, until nicely browned, 2 to 3 minutes. When the sprouts are browned, add the water to the pan, cover immediately, and simmer until the sprouts are tender when poked with a fork or skewer, about 3 minutes. (If the water evaporates before the sprouts get tender, add more water, 1/4 cup at a time.) With a slotted spoon, transfer the sprouts to a plate. Return the pan to medium-high heat, and if any water remains let it boil off. Add the balsamic vinegar and a few grinds of pepper. Boil the vinegar until it’s reduced to about 2 Tbs. and looks lightly syrupy, about 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, add the butter, and stir until melted. Add herb de provence. Return the sprouts and pancetta to the pan and swirl and shake the pan to evenly coat the sprouts with the sauce. Season to taste with salt and more pepper and serve. Serves 4.
Grilled Berkshire Pork Chops with Orange Cranberry & Rosemary Reduction Sauce
Pork chops:
Ingredients
4 (4-ounce) pork chops
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 Tablespoons of chopped rosemary
2 cloves of garlic minced
Directions
To cook the pork: Heat a cast iron skillet or grill over high heat. Season the pork with chopped rosemary, garlic salt and pepper. Brush the chops with oil then cook until barely pink at the center, about 4 minutes per side. Allow the pork to rest for 5 minutes. Serves 4.
Sauce:
Ingredients
12 oz. fresh cranberries, picked through and rinsed
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
2 tsp. minced fresh rosemary
1/2 tsp. finely grated orange zest
Directions
Bring the cranberries, sugar, orange juice, and rosemary to a boil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer for 1 min. (Some berries will have popped and some will be whole.) Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the zest. Cover and let stand for 10 min. Let the sauce cool to room temperature and then cover and refrigerate. Return to room temperature before serving. This sauce can be made up to a week ahead and refrigerated in a covered container.
