Roasted Radishes with Anchovy Caper Butter

Sweet, crispy French breakfast radishes slathered in butter? Oui, Oui.

We’ve been trying to expand our veggie vocabulary a bit lately and the Greenmarket is just the place to inspire. A recent trip yielded some gorgeous looking French breakfast radishes that were practically begging us to take them home. Oh little madames and monsieurs, how about a little menage a trois with some anchovies and butter? Oui, oui. Mind if our friends butter and capers watch? No? Now it’s a party.

Equipment Needed: Cast Iron Skillet or Oven Safe Frying Pan, Cutting Board, Tongs, Microplane, Small Bowl or Cup, Fork

Serving Suggestion: Family Style

Servings: 6-8

Suggested Wine Pairing: Sauvignon Blanc, Sangiovese

Suggested Beer Pairing: Pilsners, Lighter Saisons, Dry Stouts

Ingredients:

• 1 lb French breakfast radishes (or regular radishes if you can’t find them) ($1.50/lb)
• 3 TBSP unsalted butter (room temperature) ($4.99/lb)
• 3 TBSP extra virgin olive oil ($8.99/32 oz)
• 1 lemon ($0.50/each)
• 3-4 anchovy fillets ($1.99/2 oz tin)
• 1-2 TSP capers ($1.99/3 oz jar)
• Coarse Sea Salt ($3.49/26 oz)
• Pepper

Preparation:

• Preheat the oven to 450° F. If you haven’t taken the butter out of the fridge yet do so, you’ll want that at room temperature.
• Scrub the radishes under cold water to remove any excess dirt, pull of any questionable leaves but keep the rest on. Dry the radishes and place them in your skillet to await their fate.
• In a small mixing bowl add the butter, 1 TSP capers, 3 anchovy fillets and the zest of a lemon.

So zesty.

• Squeeze in the juice of half of said lemon and stir the whole lot together, taking care to mash the unholy hell out of the anchovies so they incorporate into the butter. Give it a taste and adjust it to your liking; we typically add more anchovy and capers to brine things up a bit.

Whip it good.

• Toss the radishes in extra virgin olive oil until everything’s evenly coated. Sprinkle sea salt and pepper over top and toss another anchovy fillet into the mix. It’ll melt down while the roots are roasting and lend a subtle umami kick to the veggies. Pop ‘em in the oven for 12 minutes, turn ‘em and cook for another 12 minutes.

Coat the radishes evenly.

• After the cooking time is up turn the oven off, spread some of the anchovy butter over each radish and pop them back in the oven for another minute to let everything melt together. Plate ‘em up and serve with leftover butter for dipping.

Make it a happy ending with a healthy slathering of butter.

Meyer Lemon and Rosemary Potatoes

Little lemony roasted potato pearls.

Potatoes can sometimes make us feel blasé. Mashed? Mixed ‘em with everything possible. Baked? Ho hum. Roasted? Always. But a recent sale on meyer lemons inspired us. A simple citrusy twist with some fragrant rosemary takes these tubers to the next level. Pair them with a nice roasted chicken or some Mediterranean fare to keep things interesting.

Equipment Needed: 13 x 9 Baking Pan, Chef’s Knife, Cutting Board, Wooden Spoon, Large Spoon

Serving Suggestion: Family Style

Servings: 4

Suggested Wine Pairing: Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio 

Suggested Beer Pairing: IPAs, Pale Ales, Lighter Saisons

Ingredients:

• 1 lb fingerling potatoes (you can use any kind of potato but fingerlings or smaller potatoes make for a more interesting presentation) ($2.49/lb)
• 4 cloves garlic ($2.99/lb)
• 2 meyer lemons ($0.50-$1/each)
• 4 large rosemary sprigs ($1.50/sprig or bunch)
• 3 TBSP extra virgin olive oil ($8.99/32 oz)
• 3 TBSP whole grain mustard ($4.99/8oz jar)
• Salt
• Pepper

Preparation:

• Preheat the oven to 415° F.
• Wash your potatoes well making sure to scrub off any dirt. Put them in the baking pan and set them aside.
• Peel and crush the garlic with the flat site of your knife. Mince it up and sprinkle a generous amount of salt on top. Using the edge of your knife, press down bit by bit on the pile of garlic crushing it into an even finer paste. When you get to the end of the pile consolidate everything and keep crushing until smooth. Toss the garlic on top of the potatoes.

Add more salt if you need extra abrasiveness.

• Wash your rosemary sprigs and remove the leaves from the stems. Give them a rough chop and toss them in with the potatoes as well. Pour in the olive oil and spoon in the whole grain mustard. Add a generous pinch of salt and pepper and still up the whole shebang until everything’s evenly coated.

We like ours with a little extra mustard to keep things interesting.

• Wash the lemon and cut it into eighths, being careful to remove as many seeds as you can. Throw those suckers in with the potato mix and toss it in the oven. Let it roast up for 20 minutes and then give it a good stir. Pop it back in the oven for another 20 minute or until the spuds are fork tender. Serve with a little butter or sour cream if you desire.

Seriously, these little suckers have a ton of seeds. Remove as many as you can before you throw them in.

Ale-brined Stuffed Pork Loin

Pork, nuts, fruit and stuffing; a meal in every bite.

The other white meat can sometimes fall victim to being boring, which is a fate we blame on people with no imagination. We turn this one up to 11 by soaking it with a badass brine and stuffing it full of home cooking favorites like, well, stuffing and cranberries. It’s almost a complete meal in and of itself but that shouldn’t stop you from pairing it with some mashed potatoes or roasted root vegetables to cap things off.

Equipment Needed: 5 QT Pot, 3 QT Pot w/ Lid, Large Container with Lid, Large Roasting Pan (OR) 13 x 9 Baking Pan, Cooking Twine, Chef’s Knife, Cutting Board, Whisk, Tongs, Wooden Spoon, Paper Towels

Serving Suggestion: Individual Plating

Servings: 4-6

Suggested Wine Pairing: Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Pinot Noir, Shiraz

Suggested Beer Pairing: Stout, Brown Ale, Scotch Ale

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs pork tenderloin ($7.99/lb)
• 16 oz brown ale (price varies)(we actually used an old autumn ale, you can use English ale, winter ale or almost anything other than an overly hoppy IPA or barley wine)
• 2 C apple cider ($3.49/gallon)
• 1/3 C kosher salt ($2.29/48 oz box)
• 1/3 C  pure grade A maple syrup (about $7/8 oz)
• 8 large rosemary sprigs ($1.50/sprig or bunch)
• 1 TBSP whole black peppercorns ($3.69/2.25 oz jar)
• 1/2 C dried cranberries ($2.99/6 oz bag)
• 1/2 C walnuts (about $8.99/lb)
• 1 box of instant stuffing (about $2.50/6 oz box) (don’t judge us, just be sure you check the instructions on the box, the recipe typically requires a few tablespoons of butter and water)
• 2 large apples ($2.99/lb)

Preparation:

• You’ll want to plan ahead a bit on this one because you’ll want to brine the pork loin for at least 2 hours before you cook it. 6-10 hours is ideal.
• For the brine combine your beer, cider, maple syrup & salt in the 5 QT pot. Whisk it all together, place it over high heat and bring it to a boil, stirring regularly until the syrup and salt are dissolved.

Beer here!

• Once it’s boiling, transfer the brine to your large container add a tray of ice cubes to accelerate the cooling process and thin it out a bit. Pop it in the fridge until it’s chilled (this should take about 45 minutes to an hour).
• While you’re waiting for things to cool, trim any excess fat off of your pork loin and give it a good rinse.
• When your brine is cold, place the pork in it an add the rosemary & peppercorns. Cover the dish and pop it back in the fridge for at least 2 hours; the longer you leave it in the more tender it’ll get.

Make sure you have enough brine to fully cover your meat.

• When you can’t holdout any longer preheat the oven to 375°F and take the pork out of the brine. Rinse it, pat it dry, and put it on a plate to bring it to room temperature (at least 15 minutes). Save the rosemary sprigs for later.
• While you’re waiting for the pork to warm, cook up your stuffing. This typically involves bringing water and butter to a boil, stirring in the stuffing and letting it sit in a covered pot for 5-8 minutes. Chop up the walnuts and stir them in along with the dried cranberries.

Chop the walnuts into manageable chunks but be careful not to pulverize them.

• When the pork is un-chilled, butterfly it (a.k.a. cut it almost in half lengthwise so you can open it like a sub roll).
• Slice up your apples into thin pieces, lengthwise and use them to line each interior side of the loin. Spoon in your stuffing and lay the rosemary sprigs from the brine across the top.

Be careful not to over-stuff the meat, you need to be able to tie it up without too much excess.

• Squeeze everything together and tie up the loin with butcher’s twine.

It's a good idea to pre-cut your twine so you don't have to do it with porky hands.

• Pop the pork in the oven and cook it for about 45-60 minutes until it registers at about 165° F on your meat thermometer.
• As with all meat let it rest for 5-10 minutes before you cut it. Remove the twine, slice into 1-2 inch discs and serve.

Roasted Garlic and Artichoke Cream

You'll be finding excuses to put this on everything.

We’re not gonna lie, we totally ripped this idea off from a spread we saw while shopping in Fairway. Our version, however, isn’t $14 for 8 ounces, so there. This blend is great by itself on bread but can be used for pizzas, on pasta, as a sauce for poultry, you name it. For a sharper bite use the garlic raw instead of roasting it.

Equipment Needed: Aluminum Foil, Baking Pan, Chef’s Knife, Cutting Board, Blender or Food Processor

Serving Suggestion: Family Style

Servings: 8-12

Suggested Wine Pairing: Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, un-oaked Chardonnay

Suggested Beer Pairing: Pilsner, Light Lagers

Ingredients:

• 2 cans artichoke hearts ($2.79/13.75 oz can)
• 2 garlic bulbs (yes, 2 whole bulbs) ($2.99/lb)
• 1/4 C grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese ($12.99/lb)
• 1 lemon ($0.50/each)
• 4 TBSP extra virgin olive oil, divided ($9.99)/32 oz)
• Salt
• Black Pepper

Preparation:

• Preheat your oven to 415° F.
• Peel as much of the loose outer papery skin odd the garlic bulbs as you can without actually peeling them. Cut the tops off of the cloves and tear off a piece of foil large enough to enclose both bulbs.
• Place the foil in the baking sheet and set down your garlic bulbs, cut side up. Drizzle about two tablespoons of olive oil over the top and sprinkle some salt and pepper on each as well. Wrap them up and pop them in the oven for 35 minutes.

Lube your bulbs.

• While your garlic is roasting drain the artichokes and quarter them. Put them in the blender or food processor, add a palmful of salt and pepper, and grate in a quarter cup of Parmigiano cheese. Squeeze in the juice of half a lime, pour in two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and blend everything together until it’s smooth.

The acidity of the lemon helps balance things out.

• When your garlic has roasted let it cool for a couple of minutes and then squeeze the cloves out of their peels and into your artichoke puree. Blend until everything is incorporated and add more cheese, salt, pepper or lemon to taste. Spread on your vessel of choice and buon appetito!

Acorn Squash Bisque

Smooth, rich, bisquiness awaits!

Fall’s return can only mean one thing in the kitchens of the Brothers Brown—it’s soup season. With about a month to go, our CSA yields some deliciously sweet and nutty squash this time of year and what better way to celebrate it than with a nice, velvety bisque.  Roasting the veggies allows them to caramelize a bit, further enhances the flavors.

Equipment Needed: 5 QT Pot, Baking Pan, Wooden Spoon, Chef’s Knife, Cutting Board, Immersion Blender or Blender or Food Processor, Potato Masher

Serving Suggestion: Individual Plating

Servings: 6-8

Suggested Wine Pairing: Viognier, Grüner Veltliner, Pinot Noir

Suggested Beer Pairing: Brown Ale, Pumpkin Ale, Oktoberfest

Ingredients:

• 2 large acorn squash ($1.69/lb)
• 4 carrots ($1.99/lb)
• 3 cloves garlic ($2.99/lb)
• 1 medium onion ($0.99/lb)
• 2 TSP cayenne pepper ($3.50/2 oz jar)
• 2 TBSP cinnamon ($3.59/3.5 oz jar)
• 3 C vegetable stock ($3.39/32 oz)
• 1 C whole milk ($1.19/QT)
• 3 TBSP extra virgin olive oil ($9.99/32 oz)
• 1 TBSP dried thyme ($3.59/1.5 oz jar)
• 1 TSP ground allspice ($3.99/1.95 oz jar)
• 1/4 C grade A light maple syrup (about $7/8 oz)
• 3 TBSP apple cider vinegar ($2.79/32 oz)
• 1 TBSP unsalted butter ($4.99/lb)
• Salt
• Black Pepper

Preparation:

• Preheat the oven to 415° F.
• Wash the acorn squash thoroughly to remove any remaining dirt. Cut off the stems and cut the squash in half. With a large spoon, scoop out the seeds and pulp in the center. Continue to cut the squash into quarters and then into quarters again. Toss them in the baking pan.

Use a serving spoon for maximum scooping effectiveness.

• Wash and peel your carrots. Halve them crosswise and add them to the pan.

Peel those roots.

• Peel the garlic cloves and add them whole to the other veggies. Peel and quarter your onion and toss it in too. Drizzle olive oil over the whole lot and give it an even dusting of salt, pepper, cayenne pepper and cinnamon. Pop everything in the oven for 40 minutes or until the squash is fork-tender.

Dust your veggies evenly but be careful not to overdo it. You can always adjust the flavors later.

• Remove the veggies from the oven; scoop the squash out of its skin and into the pot. Toss in the other veggies, pour in the vegetable stock and milk. Stir everything up and bring it to a boil.

The fattier the moo juice you use, the richer the bisque.

• Reduce the mix to a simmer and add all of your spices, herbs, syrup, vinegar and butter. Use your potato masher to break down the veggies a bit. Take your blending implement and puree it all until it’s smooth.

Blend until smooth.

• Put the soup back over low heat and re-taste it. Adjust the seasonings to your liking and serve with some nice, crusty bread.

Salt-baked Rib Roast

Juicier prime rib, we have never had.

Prime rib. Rib roast. Ribeye. A steak by any other name would taste just as good. How you prepare that steak may vary, however, and we’re pretty sure we’ve found our new go-to method for cooking roasts. By coating this beefy cut in a salt crust you create a self-marinating, sealing-the-juices-inside, hard to screw up, delicious hunk of bovine that will have you fighting for seconds.

Equipment Needed: Roasting Pan, Aluminum Foil, Mixing Bowl, Chef’s Knife, Cutting Board, Fork

Serving Suggestion: Family Style

Servings: 6-8

Suggested Wine Pairing: Cabernet Sauvignon, Old Vine Zinfandel, Malbec, Shiraz

Suggested Beer Pairing: Pale Ale, Brown Ale, Porter, Bock

Ingredients:

• 3 lb standing rib roast, bone-in (about $13.99/lb)
• 4 cloves garlic ($2.99/lb)
• 3 TBSP fresh rosemary ($1.50/sprig or bunch)
• 1 1/2 C all-purpose flour ($1.89/2 lb)
• 1 C water (free)
• 1 egg ($2.79/dozen)
• 4 C kosher salt ($2.29/48 oz box)
• 4 TBSP Black Pepper

Preparation:

• You’re gonna have to actually talk to a butcher for this one. Don’t be scared, just be honest about what you’re looking for and how you’re going to prepare it and any butcher worth his or her meat will steer you in the right direction (pun somewhat intended). Figure about 1/2 a pound to 1 pound per person depending on how hungry your crowd is. Ask for a standing rib roast with the bone, but ask them to separate the meat from the bone and truss it back on for you. This way you get the extra flavor the ribs will provide without the added pain of having to carve the meat off when you’re finished.
• Preheat the oven to 325° F.
• Mince your garlic and rosemary as finely as you can. On your cutting board, mix the two together and sprinkle some salt over it. With the edge of the blade of your knife, press down and scrape the mix against the board bit by bit to start to create a flavorful paste.

Meld those flavors together.

• In a large mixing bowl add the salt, flour, the white of your egg and water and stir everything together until it has the consistency of wet sand.

Mix the crust ingredients thoroughly for a nice, even seasoning.

• Ready your roasting pan by lining it with aluminum foil. Set your meat in there and try to coat it as evenly as possible with your garlic and rosemary paste. Crack on some fresh black pepper  but DO NOT add salt (you’re roasting it in a salt crust, remember?).
• Now comes the really messy part. Scoop out the salt slurry a handful at a time and pack it firmly on the roast, taking care to cover the entire thing with the paste. Be thorough, adjust your paste according to how it’s sticking. Sliding off? Add more salt and flour in equal parts. Too cakey? Add a little water.

Cover that meat in its delicious self-marinating shell.

• Once your meat is fully caked, pop it in the oven. For a delicious medium rare, roast it for 1 hour and 20 minutes; cook for about 10 minutes less for any hardcore, rare-loving carnivores and about 5-10 minutes more for straight up medium.
• When the meat is done let it rest for 15 minutes before you do anything else in order to let the juices redistribute and to enable a little carryover cooking. This is no time to cut corners with a juicy, delicious piece of beef like this, so resist the urge to crack the salt crust and set a timer if you have to prevent temptation.
• Reward your patience by using a large spoon or the back of a chef’s knife to crack the thing open. Brush off any large chunks of salt and remove the beef from the bone. Slice the roast on the bias and get in there.

Like opening the lid of a meat treasure chest.

Roasted Asparagus with Artichokes and Poached Egg

Like a little protein king on top of a roasted castle.

A poached egg on top of delicious vegetables you say? How novel! There’s no possible way that anyone has thought of this before. Wait, what? This is almost as played out as beet and goat cheese salad? Well guess what Mr. Fancypants, some combinations are awesome and are not to be f**ked with. So there. Grab yourself some fresh asparagus and artichokes (sorry, this is one time the canned ones won’t work) and get in there.

Equipment Needed: Baking Sheet, 3 QT Pot, Chef’s Knife, Cutting Board, Vegetable Peeler, Microplane, Spider or Slotted Spoon

Serving Suggestion: Family Style

Servings: 4

Suggested Wine Pairing: Sauvignon Blanc,  Pinot Grigio, Cava, Prosecco

Suggested Beer Pairing: Crisp Lagers, Pilsner, Witbier or Heffeweizen  

Ingredients:

• 1 lb asparagus ($3.99/lb)
• 4 large artichokes ($2.50/each)
• 1 egg ($2.79/dozen)
• 1/4 C Parmigiano Reggianno cheese (about $13.99/lb)
• 3 cloves garlic ($2.99/lb)
• 1 lemon ($0.50/each)
• 2 TBSP white vinegar ($1.99/32 oz)
•  3 TBSP extra virgin olive oil, divided ($8.99/32 oz)
• Salt
• Pepper

Preparation:

• Preheat your oven to 400° F
• Thoroughly rinse your asparagus and snap off the woody ends. Place them on the baking sheet to await their companions.

The stalk will naturally snap at the woody part.

• Cut the top half of the artichokes off.  Remove the hard leaves from the outside until you get down to the softer ones towards the center. With your vegetable peeler take the top layer of skin off the stem. Cut the artichokes in half and add to the baking sheet.

We sure to remove any hard leaves and the outer skin on the stalk.

• Mince the garlic and sprinkle it evenly across your veggies. Drizzle the whole lot with olive oil, salt and pepper. Pop it all in the oven and roast for about 15 minutes or until things start to develop the delicious brown crust we all know and love.
• With about 5 minutes left on your green guys fill your pot about 3/4 full with water and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and add a couple capfuls of white vinegar. Crack your egg into the pot and cook for 2 minutes. Remove it from the water when it’s done and make sure to let the excess water drip off.

Slide the egg in gently.

• Plate up your veggies and squeeze the juice of half a lemon over everything. Gently place the egg on top and grate on your cheese. Break the egg open when you’re ready to serve and marvel at your new favorite flavor combo.

Grate, grate, grate all day long. Grate, grate, grate while we sing this song.

Roasted Broccoli & Irish Cheddar Soup

A thick, rich and comforting bowl. Like a velour track suit for your tongue.

Broccoli and cheese soup is a pretty solid standby in our humble opinion but (to borrow from Swingers) it’s the PG-13 guy of the soup world; you’re really hoping it does the trick but if you want something exciting you want the rated R guy. Not sure if roasting the vegetables will make a difference? Poppycock. Apprehensive about the strength of the Irish cheddar’s brogue? Balderdash. Pumpernickel croutons? Nerts to you. Work with us here, people; you know the drill by now.

Equipment Needed: 2  Baking Sheets, 5 QT Pot, Immersion Blender or Food Processor, Wooden Spoon, Chef’s Knife, Cutting Board

Serving Suggestion: Individual Plating

Servings: 8

Suggested Wine Pairing: Pinot Noir, Beaujolais, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc

Suggested Beer Pairing: Dunkelwiess, Lager, Medium-bodied Ales

Ingredients:

• 3 lbs broccoli ($2.99/lb)
• 1 QT chicken stock ($3.29/32 oz)
• 1 PT heavy cream ($2.99/PT)
• 2 medium onions ($0.99/lb)
• 6 cloves garlic ($2.99/lb)
• 1/3 C flour ($1.89/2 lbs)
• 3 TBSP unsalted butter ($4.99/lb)
• 4 TBSP extra virgin olive oil ($9.99/32 oz)
• 1 lb Irish cheddar cheese ($11.99/lb)
• 1 loaf fresh pumpernickel bread (about $3/loaf)
• 1 TBSP garlic powder ($2/2.5 oz jar)
• Salt
• Pepper

Crouton Preparation:

You can do this before, during or after you make your soup. It takes about 10 minutes so do whatever works best for you.

• Preheat your oven to 400°F.
• Take your loaf of pumpernickel and cut it into 1 inch cubes. Throw them in a mixing bowl and toss them with a solid drizzle of olive oil, garlic powder and salt.

Be careful not to over-oil the bread or it won't crisp up nicely.

• Spread the croutons out evenly on a baking sheet and pop them in the oven for about 5 minutes, then check to see if they’re crunchy. If not, five them another few minutes but be careful not to leave them in too long. Burnt croutons don’t party well with soup.

Soup Preparation:

• Preheat your oven to 425°F.
• Wash the broccoli and remove the majority of the stems. Cut them into medium-sized florets and put them on your baking sheets.

Keep the broccoli in decent sized pieces, smaller chunks tend to burn when you roast them.

• Peel and quarter your onions and place them on the backing sheets along with your broccoli. Mince your garlic cloves and spread evenly over the veggies on both sheets. Drizzle a healthy dose of olive oil over the whole lot, sprinkle with salt and pepper and throw them in the oven for 15-20 minutes until the veggies are nicely roasted.

• While your broccoli is doing its thing, shred the cheese and set it aside for later.

If you can't find Irish cheddar, a nice English, Australian or just plain aged cheddar will do just fine.

• Next it’s time to get started on your roux. Put the pot over low heat and add in the butter. Once it’s melted slowly stir in the flour a little at a time so it makes a paste then cook this until it’s a rich bronze color.  Pour in the cream and stir everything together. Bring the burner up to medium heat and stir relatively constantly if your veggies haven’t finished. You don’t want the cream to scald.

Use low heat and be patient with the roux; burnt flour doesn't help anything.

• Once the veggies are done, throw them in the pot and add the chicken stock. Let everyone get friendly until the mixture comes to a boil. Once this happens remove it from the heat and get to work with your immersion blender (or food processor). You want to grind everything down to a consistent puree so don’t rush through this part.

Blend thoroughly. No one likes surprise chunks of stuff in an otherwise creamy soup.

• Once you’ve got it to the consistency you want, put it back on the stove over low heat. Stir in the cheddar a small handful at a time until you’ve gotten through it all. Once the cheese has completely melted in dish it up and go to town. For bonus points drizzle a little walnut or truffle oil on top of each bowl.

Apple & Ale Brined Turkey

That's only half of the turkey. There were enough leftovers for four days of sandwiches.

We know we’re a little late on the whole Thanksgiving recipe bandwagon, but with the holiday season in full swing you can use our tasty beer brine recipe to punch up almost any roasted meat situation. Turkey, chicken, pork loin, pork chops, basically if it’s fowl or pork it can be brined. Since we were at our parents’ house we used a local microbrew – Sackets Harbor Brewing Company’s 1812 Amber Ale – to bring the thunder, while apple cider makes things appropriately autumnal.

Equipment Needed: Large Roasting Pan, Wooden Spoon, 3 QT Pot, Large Pot/Clean Bucket/Container (to hold the meat and brining solution in the fridge), Chef’s Knife, Cutting Board, Aluminum Foil, Meat Thermometer

Serving Suggestion: Family Style

Servings: Depends on how large your bird is

Suggested Wine Pairing: Beaujolais Nouveau, Pinot Noir, Oaky Chardonnays, Riesling

Suggested Beer Pairing: Amber Ale, Brown Ale, Winter Ale, Belgian Browns

Ingredients:

NOTE: We brined a 19.5 lb bird with this recipe. We recommend halving it if you’re preparing anything under 10 lbs, just be prepared for a much more concentrated flavor.

• 1 six-pack of amber or brown ale (72 oz) (price varies)
• 8 C apple cider ($3.49/gallon)
• 2 carrots ($1.99/lb)
• 3 celery stalks ($2.99/lb)
• 2/3 C kosher salt ($2.29/48 oz box)
• 2/3 C sugar ($2.39/2 lb box)
• 3 sprigs of fresh rosemary ($4/package)
• 1 TBSP whole black peppercorns ($3.69/2.25 oz jar)
• Ice (free; amount will vary)
• Water (free; amount will vary)

Preparation:

• You’ll want to brine your meat for an absolute minimum of 1 hour and as much as a couple of days. We brined our turkey for about 18 hours which made for some very tender meat and a faint cider flavor. Knowing this you’ll need to start making the brine about an hour before you plan to soak your meat.
• Add your sugar, salt, four beers and four cups of cider to the 3 quart pot. Stir well and put it over high heat. Continue stirring until the solids have dissolved and bring the mix to a boil, making sure that nothing burns.

Beer makes everything better, especially turkey.

• While the mix is brewing, prep your turkey by giving it a good rinse and removing the giblets.
• Remove the brining solution from the heat and transfer it to your bucket/pot/receptacle. After about 15 minutes of cooling add the other two beers and remaining four cups of cider. Throw in about six cups of ice and give it a good stir to melt the cubes.

Cool things quicker with an ample helping of ice.

• Once the solution has reached room temperature (or cooler) submerge the bird breast-side down and add the rosemary and peppercorns. You want to make sure the meat is fully submerged so if there’s anything exposed top it off with water and a bit more cider if you desire. Pop that puppy in the fridge and let the goodness soak in.

Top it off with cider for a more pronounced flavor.

• When you’re ready to cook your turkey remove it from the brine, rinse it thoroughly and pat it dry. Preheat the oven to 325°F.

During the pat-down we could swear the turkey yelled, "Don't touch my junk!"

• Cut your butter into 1/4 inch pats. Carefully separate the skin from the meat and insert the pieces in between to keep things juicy while it cooks. Cut the celery and carrots into three-inch pieces and stuff them into the cavity of the turkey.

This money shot was brought to you by the letter "Butter" and the number "Moist."

• Line the roasting pan with enough aluminum foil to line the bottom and cover the bird. Place the turkey in (backside down if you need reminding) and cover with the excess foil.
• Pop that gobbler in the oven and cook it for approximately 15 minutes for every pound. Check it after 2 hours to make sure it hasn’t cooked too quickly. It’s ready when the internal temperature is 165°F when taken from the thigh. To make sure the skin gets nice and crispy peel back the foil for the last 30 minutes of roasting. Once you’ve taken it out of the oven cover it back up with foil and let it rest for a minimum of 10 minutes to let the juices redistribute. Carve, be thankful for your food and friends, and enjoy.

Autumn Harvest Wraps

Roasted harvest goodness all done up.

This wrap is an easy way to use a hodge podge of veggies to create a cornucopia of fall’s best flavors. Lose the kielbasa to make it a satisfying vegetarian delight. Lose the cheese to make it a vegan delight, then never call us again.

Equipment Needed: 2 Baking Sheets, Wooden Spoon, 3 QT Pot w/ Lid, Steamer Basket, Chef’s Knife, Cutting Board, Cheese Grater, Toothpicks

Serving Suggestion: Individual Plating

Servings: 6 wraps

Suggested Wine Pairing: Old Vine Zinfandel, Pinot Noir, Malbec, Rioja

Suggested Beer Pairing: Brown Ale, Oktoberfest, Dunkelweizen, Dopplebock, Brown Belgians

Ingredients:

• 1 package of turkey kielbasa ($4.99/16 oz)
• 1 butternut squash ($1.99/lb)
• 1 bunch baby turnips (about $2.99/bunch)
• 3 apples (about $1.50/lb)
• 1 bunch kale ($1.50/lb)
• 1 medium onion ($0.99/lb)
• 3 cloves garlic ($2.99/lb)
• 1 lb. fontina cheese ($7.99/lb)
• 6 whole wheat wraps ($2.89/8 pack)
• 2 TBSP apple cider vinegar ($2.79/32 oz)
• 2 TBSP grade A maple syrup ($7/8 oz)
• 2 TBSP extra virgin olive oil ($9.99/32 oz)
• 1 TBSP ground allspice ($3.79/1.95 oz jar)
• 1/2 TBSP cayenne pepper ($2/3.5 oz jar)
• Salt
• Pepper

Preparation:

• Preheat the oven to 400°F. Put the fontina in the freezer to make it easier to grate.
• Wash and peel the squash. Cut it in half, scoop out the seeds with a spoon and cut it into 1/2 inch chunks.

Cut the squash into bite-sized cubes for even roasting and easy eating.

• Peel and halve your onion then cut it into thin strips. Mince the garlic  spread both evenly over the squash.
• Wash the turnips and cut off the stems. Depending on their size either halve or quarter them; you want the pieces to be roughly the same size as the squash. Toss it in with everything else.

It's hard to come up with a witty caption for turnips. Fail.

• Wash the apples and cut the sides off as close to the core as possible without getting any seeds or husk.

Don't slice the apples too thinly or they'll be too mushy.

• Pour the vinegar, maple syrup, olive oil over the top of the veggies. Sprinkle about 2 tablespoons of salt and pepper in addition to the allspice and cayenne pepper evenly over the mix and stir everything together to evenly coat things. Toss the veggies in the oven for 30 minutes.
• While the roasting is making it all happen, put your steamer basket in the 3 quart pot and add water until it just touches the bottom of the basket.
• Cut the end of the stems off the kale, wash the leaves and cut them into 1 inch strips. Toss them in the steamer, cover the pot and put it over medium heat. Cook everything down for about 30 minutes or until tender.

We've never eaten as much kale as we have with this CSA.

• While everything is cooking in its own special ways, take the kielbasa and cut it on a bias (diagonally) into 1/2 inch discs. Cut each disc in half and add it to the roasting mix with about 10 minutes left on the timer to heat it up (it’s pre-cooked).
• Grate the fontina and set it aside. Once the veggies are roasted and the kale is soft take each wheat wrap and layer on the fillings. We like to lay down the roasted veggie mix, then the kale, then the cheese. Leave about an inch of space on each end of the wrap (just pick 2 opposite sides to be the ends) and fold the end up over top of the filling. Fold each side over and hold the whole thing in place with a couple strategically placed toothpicks.
• Repeat the process until you’re out of ingredients and put them on your other baking sheet. Pop them back in the oven for another 5 minutes to melt the cheese, remove the toothpicks (very important) and enjoy.