roasted fennel soup

Servings: 4 bowls

Ingredients

1 Large bulb fennel, quartered
2 TB canola oil
Kosher salt & fresh ground pepper to taste.
1 leek, white only, sliced
1 Cup russet potatoes, peeled and cubed.
2 Cups chicken stock
2 TB dry sherry
1/2 Cup half and half
1/2 Cup toasted walnuts, coarsely chopped.
1/4 Cup Stilton cheese, crumbled.
1 Lemon, zest only, finely chopped.
1 TB fresh chives or fennel leaves, minced

Preparation

1) Preheat oven to 400 F. Toss fennel with 1 tablespoon oil. Sprinkle with kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper. roast fennel on a baking sheet until tender and golden brown, about 15-20 minutes.
2) While fennel is roasting, heat remaining oil in a heavy, medium sized pot over medium-low flame. Add leeks, stirring to coat leeks with oil. Cover pot and cook the leeks for about 5 minutes, until they are translucent. Add potatoes and stock. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the potatoes are fully cooked, about 20 minutes. Puree mixture with a hand blender or in a food processor until smooth.
3) Allow fennel to cool. when easy to handle slice into small strips, about 1/2 inch. Add to potato mixture, along with sherry mixture and the half and half to reach the desired texture of the soup. Return to simmer, and stir in walnuts. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Toss Stilton cheese with lemon zest.
4) To serve, ladle soup into warm bowls. Top with a tablespoon of Stilton mixture. Sprinkle with minced chives or fennel and walnuts

Apple Bread Pudding

• 4 4 x4-inch slices firm white sandwich bread, crusts trimmed
• 2 teaspoons butter
• 2 medium apples, peeled, cored, cut into 1/2-inch wedges
• 8 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon dried currants or raisins

• 2 cups low-fat (1%) milk
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Lightly butter 9-inch-diameter glass pie dish. Cut each bread slice into 4 squares. Arrange half of bread squares in single layer in prepared dish. Melt 2 teaspoons butter in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add apples; sauté 5 minutes. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons sugar; sauté until apples are golden, about 6 minutes. Arrange apples atop bread in dish. Sprinkle with currants. Top with remaining bread squares in single layer.

Bring milk to simmer in small saucepan. Whisk eggs and remaining 6 tablespoons sugar in medium bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in hot milk, then vanilla and cinnamon. Pour over bread and apple mixture. Let stand until milk mixture is almost absorbed, occasionally pressing down on bread with spatula to submerge, about 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Place pie dish in roasting pan. Add enough hot water to roasting pan to come halfway up sides of pie dish. Bake bread pudding until top is golden and custard is set, about 40 minutes. Remove from water. Serve warm or at room temperature.

 

Venison and IBA Shepherd's Pie

A classic dish gets a modern spin. Bison (a.k.a. buffalo) is available at some natural foods stores, specialty foods stores, and farmers' markets.

6 servings

Ingredients

Filling

• 1/3 cup all purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon Hungarian sweet paprika
• 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 1/2 pounds venison, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1/3 pound bacon, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices
• 2 tablespoons (or more) olive oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup peeled chopped carrot
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 cups Dogfish Head Indian Brown Ale
• 2 2/3 cups low-salt chicken broth
• 1 cup canned crushed tomatoes
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage

Mashed-Potato Crust

• 2 to 2 1/4 pounds russet potatoes, peeled, quartered
• 3/4 cup whole milk
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 large egg, beaten to blend

Preparation

Filling

• Whisk first 4 ingredients in large bowl. Add bison; toss. Heat large pot over medium heat. Add bacon; cook until crisp. Transfer to paper towels. Add 2 tablespoons oil to pot; increase heat to medium-high. Working in batches, cook bison until browned, adding more oil by tablespoonfuls as needed. Return to same bowl. Add chopped onion, carrot, celery, and garlic to pot; cover and cook until vegetables soften, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Add wine; bring to boil, scraping up any browned bits. Add broth, tomatoes, bay leaves, thyme, sage, reserved bacon, and bison. Reduce heat to low. Cover; simmer until bison is tender, stirring occasionally, about 2 hours (beef may take 1 1/2 hours).
• Transfer bison to rimmed baking sheet. Cut meat off bones; cut meat into 3/4-inch cubes. Add parsnips and turnips to pot with bison sauce. Simmer until tender, stirring occasionally, 10 to 15 minutes. Add pearl onions; cook 5 minutes. Return meat to pot. Season with salt and pepper.

Mashed-Potato Crust

• Cook potatoes in large pot of boiling lightly salted water until tender, 18 to 20 minutes. Drain. Heat milk, butter, and cream in medium saucepan until almost boiling. Rice potatoes into large mixing bowl; add milk mixture, 1 teaspoon coarse salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and whisk until smooth and slightly cooled, about 2 minutes. Whisk in egg.
• Preheat oven to 400°F. Spoon bison filling into 3-quart (13x9x2-inch) baking dish. Spoon mashed potatoes over; smooth top to cover completely.

Garnish

• Beat egg and 1 tablespoon water to blend. Brush over potatoes, then sprinkle cheese all over. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.
• Bake pie until top is browned and filling is heated through, 30 to 40 minutes (50 to 60 minutes if chilled). Let rest 10 minutes.