Imagine being the editor of "Fine Cooking," that gorgeous, delicious magazine. Then imagine chucking it all and moving to a farm, where you'd raise baby chicks and grow actual crops, not just tend a garden.
That's what Susie Middleton did. Being a writer, she chronicled it all, and now it's an engaging cookbook/memoir. "Fresh From the Farm - A Year of Recipes and Stories" (2014, The Taunton Press, $28) covers the landscape, from handling the baby chicks for the first time to recipes for Peppermint Lemonade Soda, Swiss chard and such.
Here's a sampling.
Winter Green Market Meatloaf
Yes, there's actually kale in this incredibly moist and flavorful meatloaf. (It works, really!) This is delicious leftover - reheated or even cold, pate style.
Makes: 4 to 6 servings
- 3/4 cup fresh bread crumbs (about 1 English muffin)
- 3 tablespoons milk
- 1/2 cup catsup
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 large carrot, coarsely chopped
- 1 small onion, coarsely chopped
- 4 large garlic cloves, peeled
- 1 small Serrano pepper, seeds and ribs removed, cut into 3 or 4 pieces
- 2 cups (packed) coarsely chopped kale
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Kosher salt
- 1 pound 80 to 85 percent lean ground beef
- 1/2 pound ground pork
- 3 ounces crumbled feta
- 1 large egg
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons (lightly packed) chopped fresh oregano
Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a large rimmed heavy-duty baking sheet with parchment paper.
Put the bread crumbs and milk in a small bowl and mix. Let sit.
In a small bowl, whisk together the catsup, Worcestershire, brown sugar, soy sauce and Dijon.
In the bowl of a food processor, combine the carrots, onions, garlic, serranos and kale. Pulse until very finely chopped, scraping down the sides as necessary to incorporate the kale.
In a medium nonstick skillet, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the chopped veggies and 1/2 teaspoon salt. (The pan will be crowded.) Cook, stirring until gently softened and very fragrant, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate and let cool (about 10 minutes).
In a large mixing bowl, combine the beef, pork, feta, egg, several grinds of pepper, the oregano, 1/2 teaspoon salt, the breadcrumb mixture, and 3 tablespoons of the catsup mixture (reserve the rest for brushing on the loaf.) Using your hands, mix all of the ingredients together thoroughly without mashing too much.
Transfer the mixture to the baking sheet and shape into a long, narrow loaf - about 9 inches long and 4 inches wide. Spoon the rest of the catsup mixture down the length of the top of the loaf and gently spread or brush it over the sides.
Bake the meatloaf until an instant-read thermometer registers 160 degrees to 165 degrees, 55 to 60 minutes. Let it rest for5 minutes before slicing and serving.
Little Pear Crostatas with Hazelnut Crisp Topping
Makes: 8 servings
For the dough
- 2 cups flour
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon table salt
- 1 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes (keep cold if working ahead)
- 4 tablespoons ice water
For the crisp topping
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1/4 cup very finely chopped, toasted, skinned hazelnuts
- 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Table salt, to taste
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, diced
For the filling
- 3 ripe but firm pears (about 6 ounces each), peeled, coared, and thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
- Table salt, to taste
For assembly
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 3 tablespoons very finely chopped toasted hazelnuts
In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour, sugar and salt. Pulse briefly to combine. Add butter, and use your fingers to toss carefully with some of the flour. Pulse about 20 times, or until butter particles are quite small. With the motor running, add ice water in a stream. Process until the dough is beginning to come together (if you pinch some together it should form a clump). Don't overprocess. Turn the loose dough out into a mixing bowl and knead it briefly to bring it together. Portion into four equal pieces. Shape each piece into a disk about 3/4 inch thick, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate or freeze.
When you are ready to assemble the tarts, put the sliced pears in a mixing bowl. Sprinkle with lemon juice and sugar, then add the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and a pinch of salt. Toss until thoroughly mixed. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolk and heavy cream and set aside.
Sprinkle a dusting of flour on a rolling surface. Roll out a disk of dough into a round about 7-1/2 to 8 inches in diameter, sprinkling flour as necessary to prevent sticking. Transfer the dough to one of the parchment-lined sheet pans. Repeat with the remaining three disks of dough, so that you have two rounds on each sheet pan.
Sprinkle about 2 teaspoons of the hazelnuts over the middle of each round (in a rough circle, leaving a 2-inch border). Portion the pear mixture evenly among the four rounds, arranging it in the center of the dough over the hazelnuts and leaving a 2-inch border of dough. Pleat and fold the edge of the dough up and over the outer edge of the pear filling. Brush the top of the dough (and under the folds) with the egg mixture. Arrange a quarter of the crisp topping over the fruit in the center of each tart, letting little pieces of crisp topping spill over onto the dough as well.
Bake for 32 to 36 minutes, rotating the sheet pans halfway through until the crostatas are nicely golden all over and crisp and brown on the bottom. Let cool on the baking sheets and eat warm or at room temperature.
Source: "Fresh From the Farm - A Year of Recipes and Stories," by Susie Middleton