Brunch with Beets and Pac Choi

If you don't have the luxury of a slow Saturday morning to craft a perfect brunch, you can make the beets, greens and salad ahead of time, keeping them refrigerated until ready to use.  Greens can be re-heated quickly in a skillet just before serving.  Eggs and toast are great for breakfast, but this also makes a fantastic meal any time of the day.

Ingredients:

1 Bunch of beets, plus beet greens

1 Head of pac choi

3 garlic cloves, minced

Olive or canola oil

2-3 Spring onions, chopped

1-2 Tbs sugar

White balsamic vinegar

Alchemy Spice Scenic City Sizzle (or your favorite grilling pepper blend)

Fresh local eggs

Sour dough bread, sliced and toasted

Sea salt to taste

Toasted Garlic Drizzling Oil

Method:

Wash and trim the beets.  You can cut them into wedges or chop them to your desired size/shape.  Place in a saucepan and cover with water.  Add a pinch of salt, 1 Tbs sugar, and 1 Tbs of white balsamic vinegar. Stir and let simmer on medium-high heat until the beets are fork tender (about 20 minutes or so depending on size).

Cut the leafy-green part of the pac choi away from the firm white part and set aside.  Chop the firm part of the pac choi and place in a bowl with the chopped spring onions, about 1-2 Tbs white balsamic vinegar, a pinch of salt, 1-2 Tbs olive oil, and a dash of Scenic City Sizzle. Stir to combine, then set aside until ready to serve.  When the beets are tender, drain the cooking liquid and add the beets to the pac choi salad.

Wash the beet greens and the leafy green parts of the pac choi, spin dry in a salad spinner or pat dry. Heat a little olive or canola oil in a heavy skillet, then add the chopped greens, a little salt, and the minced garlic.  Saute until wilted and tender, then remove from the heat.

For each serving, toast a slice of the sour dough bread, and fry an egg sunny-side-up. (To make a perfect egg: In a non-stick skillet with a little oil, cook on low heat with a lid or plate covering the skillet.)  Remove from heat when the white is firm and assemble the servings  immediately.

To plate: Drizzle a little Toasted Garlic Drizzling Oil on each slice of toast, Place a serving of the sauteed greens, followed by the fried egg, and top with the beet and pac choi salad.  Season to taste.  Serve immediately.

Savory Winter Squash Soufflé

Served with Prosciutto, arugula, goat cheese with lemon & herbs, and a drizzle of white wine vinegar & olive oil.

I have seen photos of perfectly-puffed soufflé, so I know the highly puffed recipes must exist. But by the time I slid this baby onto the plate without burning my fingers, I had about 30 seconds to snap away before it began to sink in the middle.  I was wishing for a mini Julia Child angel on my shoulder to help me with my puffiness problem, that is, until I tasted the finished product.  Bowl-shaped or not, this savory fall soufflé is light and full of flavor. If you are interested in a dairy-free version, I tried this recipe with a mixture of unsweetened soy milk and lower-fat coconut milk, and omitted the cheese.  It was delicious. For other preparation tips, in Mark Bittman's How To Cook Everything, the basics of Savory Soufflé recipe is a great  guideline for first-timers.

Ingredients: 1 small butternut squash (or other dense winter squash, like acorn or kabocha. Also can substitute two medium sweet potatoes) Olive or canola oil Freshly ground nutmeg 4 Tbs butter or Toasted Garlic Drizzling Oil 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 1 1/2 cups milk (can substitute unsweetened soy milk, or reduced fat coconut milk) 6 farm-fresh local eggs, separated 1 tsp french mustard 1 Tbs fresh thyme, minced 1 tsp paprika or cayenne pepper 2 green onions, chopped 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese (optional) Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Peel and seed the squash (or peel the sweet potatoes), cut into 1-inch cubes and place in a glass baking dish.  Toss with a little olive or canola oil and season with sea salt, black pepper and a little freshly ground nutmeg.  Bake for about 1 hour.  While the squash is baking, gather the other ingredients so they are ready for the next step.  When the squash is cooked, mash well with a fork.  It should measure about 1 cup mashed.

Next heat the Toasted Garlic Drizzling Oil or butter in a medium saucepan.  If using butter, you will need to cook it on medium heat until the water evaporates and the solids have separated.  Make a roux by adding the flour and cooking until it begins to brown, (If using oil, it may only darken slightly).  Slowly pour the milk into the pan and stir constantly with a whisk for a couple of minutes to keep it from going lumpy. It will be like a thick, southern white gravy at this point. Remove from the heat and let cool enough that you can comfortably insert a finger without it burning.  Stir in the egg yolks until smooth, then add the mashed squash, mustard, thyme, paprika, green onions and shredded cheese (if desired).  Stir until combined evenly.  If you are not squeamish about raw eggs, taste the mixture and adjust seasonings to taste.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and butter eight 4-inch ramekins, or one large soufflé dish.  In a glass or metal bowl, whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form.  Transfer the squash mixture to a large bowl and fold in 1/3 of the egg whites with a rubber spoon-shaped spatula. Slowly and gently fold in the rest of the egg whites until it is fairly evenly combined, but take care not to over-mix the batter or your soufflé will be flat.  Spoon the batter into the ramekins or the soufflé dish and place on a baking sheet in the center of the oven.  Bake the small ramekins for about 20 minutes, the large soufflé may take 30-40 minutes.  It is done when the top has browned and it is set, but still somewhat soft.  If it jiggles when you check it, give it a few minutes more. When they are done, serve immediately.

Baked Apples With Chestnut Puree & Cocoa Nibs

How exciting to find chestnuts at the Main Street Farmer's Market!  The Chattanooga Chestnut Tree Project is lead by UTC agriculture researchers who are working to restore the American Chestnut to the lower Appalachian region, while also supporting farmers who are looking for improved cultivars to grow in local chestnut orchards. These local beauties inspired a delicious afternoon snack or light dessert when paired with  this season's apple harvest.  You can use the chestnut puree as a dip for freshly sliced apples, or dress it up as a baked dessert. Either way, they pair well as a tasty seasonal treat.

Chestnut Puree: 1 lb fresh chestnuts 1-2 teaspoons local honey 1 1/2 cups milk, cream or coconut milk Juice from 1/2 lemon Freshly grated nutmeg (about 1/8 of a nut) Dash of ground ginger Dash of cloves Pinch of salt

Cut the chestnuts in half across the widest part and place in a saucepan.  Cover with water and boil for about 20 minutes.  The skins should slip off or peel easily.  Once the skins are removed, place the chestnuts in a blender or food processor, along with the other ingredients.  Puree until smooth.  Adjust spices, honey or lemon to taste.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Slice the apples (peel if desired) and place in a lightly oiled or buttered glass baking dish.  Bake until tender (about 15-20 minutes).  Serve warm with chestnut puree, drizzled honey and a sprinkle of cocoa nibs (can be found at Greenlife or Earth Fare).

Fresh Salsa Omelet

Summer vegetables are often so delicious raw or simply prepared, it does not take much to create something delicious. Omelets, made with really good pasture-raised hen eggs, are fantastic for breakfast, lunch or dinner.  This one highlights the best of summer vegetables with the flavors of one of the world's favorite foods. You can combine the same ingredients to make a nice pico de gallo or salsa for other meals.

Ingredients: 1-2 farm fresh eggs per omelet, whisked Canola or red pepper oil Sweet bell pepper Banana pepper or Jalapeno Tomato Onion Garlic Pinch of whole cumin seed Dash of paprika or cayenne pepper Salt Freshly squeezed lime juice Chopped cilantro Avocado slices (optional)

Method: Dice peppers, onion, garlic and tomato evenly into tiny pieces.  Stir in the cumin seed and paprika or cayenne pepper.  Coat the bottom of your omelet pan with some oil and heat on medium heat.  When the pan is hot, add 1/2 cup of the vegetables to the pan and let sear for about 30 seconds. Sprinkle a pinch of salt over the vegetables and stir. Continue to cook until they soften a bit.  Squeeze a little lime juice over the vegetables and try to spread them into an even layer across the bottom of the pan.  Slowly pour the whisked egg over the vegetables, trying to cover them entirely if possible. You can give the pan a little jostle or two to help the egg spread between the vegetables.  Sprinkle some chopped cilantro over the top and let cook until the egg is set.  Season to taste. Slide out of the pan and serve over a bed of fresh spinach or greens and top with avocado slices.

BBLT (Bacon Basil and Local Tomato)

The basil aioli and tomato flavor combination is so good, it would be a shame to let it fade into the archives with the tomato pie recipe. As I took a wander down Main Street today it wasn't difficult to come to a BLT conclusion for how to pair them together again. These organic homegrown tomatoes are mouth-watering. (I should apologize now to the people who are reading this post from another city or country.  You will have to come visit to taste for yourself, but we have a bit of a home-team advantage with this one.) I started with the best tomatoes, then paired with fresh bread from an amazing artisan bakery and bacon from a producer of local, farm-to-table cured meats, who happen to reside side-by-side on our little Main Street.  I keep waiting for the candlestick maker to move next door, but in the meantime I'll be satisfied with the tastiest fresh bread and tempting hand-crafted local bacon.  On Wednesday's the Main Street Farmer's Market is busy with farmer's and local food producers from around the region selling their goods.  So with a walk down Main Street shorter than the length of a department store parking lot, you can buy locally made bread, bacon, and all the fresh, homegrown tomatoes and basil you can eat. Local is the buzz-word among foodies, and for good cause.  But here's the cherry on top: This sandwich is AMAZING.  I scored a rare pumpernickle loaf at Niedlov's Bakery for my sandwich, but you can use whichever is your favorite. As for the bacon, there is nothing quite like this thick sliced hand-crafted goodness from Link 41.

Ingredients:

One loaf of your favorite Niedlov's bread

1 lb Link 41 bacon

One Signal Mountain Farm Tomato

Fresh basil leaves 2 Tbs Basil-Garlic Aioli per sandwich Salt & Pepper

Cook bacon, slice tomato and bread to desired thickness, and layer on bread with torn basil leaves and a generous dollop of Basil-Garlic Aioli on both slices of bread. Invite a friend over for lunch, or you might be tempted to eat it all by yourself.