Been a Long Time....

Life has spun out of control...many good things and some not so good. On the good side....on October 22, 2010 my wife and I welcomed Bodhin James into the world. At 9lbs 7oz and 22", he is loved, kissed and embraced every day. On the not so good side is the adjusting to the new rhythms of life with a 3rd child.

Thanksgiving was great and the recipes are what prompted me to write tonight.

Sweet Potato Souffle

• 3-4 lbs Sweet Potatoes
• 2/3 cup of brown sugar
• 6 Tbsp Melted Butter
• 1 cup of evaporated milk (I used Rice Milk and it works as well)
• 2 eggs lightly beaten
• 1 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
  
• 1/2 tsp Cloves
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1 cup marshmallows
• 1 cup pecans

Peel, cube and roast the sweet potatoes in teh oven on a sheet pan at 400 for about 45 minutes or until they are soft (I coat with oil). When done, cool slightly, then in a large container, mash to a smooth consistency. Add sugar, spices, milk and butter and mix completely. Add eggs and combine. Fold into a 9x13 casserole dish and cook at 350 for 35 minutes. While it is cooking, combine the marshmallows and pecans. Once 25 mintues pass, put the mixture on top of the casserole and cook for the last few minutes unitl the marshmallows are melted and starting to brown. Serve hot.

And yet one last Thanksgiving Recipe

Sausage Apple Cranberry Stuffing

• 3 cups leeks, sliced finely (about 3 large leeks)

• 1.5lbs Sausage (out of casing)
• 3 large Granny Smith Apples (peeled, cored and diced)
• 2 cups celery (sliced)
• 2 cups dried cranberries (rehydrated in boioing water for 10 mintues)
• 4 Tbsp Butter
• 1 cup parsley (chopped)
• 3 Tbsp Rosemary (fresh, chopped)
• 3 Tbsp Sage (fresh, chopped)
• 2 Tbsp Poultry Seasoning
• 6 cups bread crumbs (large pieces)
• 4 cups Chicken Stock
  

In a large skillet, cook the sausage breaking up the larger pieces with the back of the spoon. When cooked, remove with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel. To the pan, add the butter, apples, leeks and celery and saute for 2-3 minutes. Add in Rosemary and Sage and combine, remove from heat and add to sausage. Add drained, re-hydrated cranberries and mix. Add in breadcrumbs and start adding chicken stock 1 cup at a time. The mixture should be damp but not dripping

Thanksgiving Dinner...

It has been a while since I last posted as life have become a little chaotic. It is amazing to me how little time I can find to do this but now that I am sitting here, I wonder why I don't find the time. Over the last month, the weather has gotten much colder and there has been very little happening outdoors but lots of exciting stuff inside!!

Thanksgiving dinner went well. We had Tiffany, Sandy, Ellie and Alex over for an early dinner. It was the first time I cooked for Thansgiving (even a turkey actually) and with the exception of 1 or 2 items, we managed a relatively preservative free dinner. Actually, I wasn't really thinking about that during the planning process; it wasn't until I had resorted to buying bread cubes did I realize how non-preservative dinner was to be. Dinner was all new recipes for me:

• Organic, Free Range 15lb Turkey (John's Meat Market)
• Sausage, Apple, Cranberry Leek Stuffing
• Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes
• Twice baked, Brown Sugar and Pecan Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
• Oven Roasted Beets with Rosemary, Garlic and Thyme
• Garlic and Onion Sauteed Swiss Chard (with Beet Greens)
• Cranberry, Ginger and Apple Chutney

For dessert, I made a recipe that I think Jen will force me to make every day.....Shoo Fly Pie. If you like Molasses, this is the recipe for you. It is extremely rich and heavy but absolutely delicious!! Although there are a lot of directions below, it is quick and simple to make.

Shoo Fly Pie

Pastry :

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• Pinch salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cold and cut into small chunks
• 2 tablespoons ice water, plus more if needed

Filling:

• 1 cup un-sulphured molasses or Pennsylvania Dutch Table Syrup
• 3/4 cup hot water
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 large eggs , lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

Crumb Topping:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• Whipped cream, for serving

Directions
To make the pastry: Combine the flour, sugar, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add the butter and mix with a pastry blender or your hands until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Pour in the ice water and work it in to bind the dough until it holds together without being too wet or sticky. Squeeze a small amount together, if it is crumbly, add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Sprinkle the counter and a rolling pin lightly with flour. Roll the dough out into a 10-inch circle; transfer the dough to the pie plate. Press the dough firmly into the bottom and sides so it fits tightly. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

To make the filling: In medium-size mixing bowl, combine the molasses and water; stir in baking soda, eggs, and spices.

To make the crumb topping: With a pastry blender, mix together the flour, brown sugar, and butter, until it is the texture of coarse crumbs. To Assemble:Take 1/2 cup of the crumb mixture and put it in the bottom of the pie shell, pour in the molasses filling, and scatter the remaining crumbs on top. Bake for 30 minutes, until the filling jiggles slightly and the top is firm. Let cool to room temperature before cutting

The garden is done for this year. I do have some more beets in the ground but I think I am going to let them stay to see if they go to seed next year. To prep for the winter, I did not plant Rye or any other cover crop as I wanted to but I was able to put a layer of mulched leaves down. In the early spring, I will turn those into the soil and probably add another bag of peat. I still have the bean trellis up and will probably leave it until spring as well just out of plain laziness.

Now Jen and I are in the talking stages about what to plant and where for next year. I have used this blog to really talk through some ideas and I keep coming back to the same ones (blueberries, blackberries, apple trees, fig trees). Seems that the more I talk, the farther away spring seems to be :)

Food Harvested:
Last of the beets

Things Planted:
spring bulbs

Seeds Saved:
Orange (for Jack)
Chaste Tree (Not sure if it is ready yet, need to research more)

Preserved/Cooked:
lots and lots (Thanksgiving Dinner)

Things to Remember:
1. Need to lay down weed barrier in mature lilac beds
2. You never can know too much