Thayer in the Kitchen

January 2011:  This is an update to my earlier recipe.  This time the biscuits were perfect, but the gravy for the stew could have been a little thicker. Note:  On the topic of the vegetables, use about 2# of whatever root vegetables you have available.  This time I used sweet potatoes, celeriac, the last of my unloved winter radishes, plus carrots. Gravy:  I didn't use wine this time because I wasn't going to open a bottle of wine for 1/4 cup.  I would start with 2 cups of chicken broth.  You can always add more if it seems to need it.  I would use 2-3 tablespoons of cornstarch and see if the gravy has the consistency you want. I am adding my new biscuit recipe for baking on top of the stew.  They came out perfect with baking them for 20 minutes and then adding the cheese.  I think 5 minutes to melt the cheese might be enough. I hesitated to post this recipe because it was not a success, but it has the potential to be very go...

I know I posted a similar recipe last summer. Now I'm not sure which one I prefer so I'm going to post this one too. Arthur thought this soup was delicious. 1 Tablespoon butter 1 tablespoon sunflower oil 1 small onion, sliced 1 pound sunchokes, peeled and sliced 8 ounces carrots, sliced 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 2-1/2 cups chicken stock 1-1/4 cups milk 6 ounces (1 1/2 cups) Gruyere cheese, shredded (note I'm sure Gruyere cheese would be delicious in this soup but I didn't have any. I used a combination of Cedar Grove reduced fat cheddar cheese and a white cheese; I'm not sure what it was--I think what I'm saying is use what you have) 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard 2 green onions, chopped In a large saucepan, melt butter and oil, add onion and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add sunchokes and carrots. Cook 2 minutes. Add flour, then gradually add stock. Cover and simmer 20 minutes. Blend soup with an immersion blender or food processor fitted wi...

I found this new recipe that uses sunchokes. As I've mentioned before they're not one of my favorite vegetables, but this was a dish that they worked well in. Arthur and I both liked it and would make it again. For those not familiar with quinoa, the World Healthiest Foods gives a good description. "Although not a common item in most kitchens today, quinoa is an amino acid-rich (protein) seed that has a fluffy, creamy, slightly crunchy texture and a somewhat nutty flavor when cooked." This is a link to their article that tells about all the health benefits of quinoa: http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=142 To prevent any hint of a bitter taste: While the processing methods used in the commercial cultivation remove much of the soapy saponins that coats quinoa seeds, it is still a good idea to thoroughly wash the seeds to remove any remaining saponin residue. An effective method is to run cold water over quinoa that has been placed in a fine...

I got a bit behind in using all my CSA veggies. I found some sunchokes tucked away in the back of a refrigerator draw which were still perfect. I had stored them in a plastic bag with a paper towel in it to absorb extra moisture. This recipe would probably be more appropriate for cold weather but its worth saving for when the sunchokes return. Sunchoke Cheese Soup 1 pound sunchokes 2 Tablespoons lemon juice 2 stalks celery 1 medium onion 4 Tablespoons butter 2-1/2 cups chicken broth or more if needed 3 Tablespoons flour 1 1/2 cups medium-sharp Cheddar cheese 2 teaspoons dry mustard 1/2 cup cream Salt Cayenne pepper 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce Wash, peel, and roughly chop sunchokes and keep in water to which lemon juice has been added until ready to use. Chop celery and onion and cook in 1 tablespoon butter until slightly wilted, approximately 10 minutes. Add sunchokes and 1-1/2 cups chicken broth, cover, and cook for 10 to 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Puree in a fo...

This recipe is for sort of a soupy stew with Italian sausage and vegetables. We both enjoyed it for supper on Saturday with homemade cornbread. I made another recipe from my favorite cornbread cookbook, The Cornbread Gospels by Crescent Dragonwagon. This time I made a Northern (Yankee) style cornbread, Durgin Park Cornbread. Sunchoke and Sausage Soup 4 slices bacon, diced 1 (16 ounce) package Italian sausage, coarsely chopped (I used Italian sausage from Jordandal Farms) 1 pound sunchokes, peeled, halved, and cut into 1/2-inch slices 6 small white potatoes, peeled and halved (1/2 pound or more) 3 stalks celery, diced 1 large onion, diced 4-5 green onions or potato onions or 1 leek (whatever you have and need to use) 3 cups chopped Yukina Savoy (1 bunch) or spinach 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 quart chicken stock 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil (1-2 teaspoons dry if fresh isn't available) 2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano (1-2 teaspoons dry if fresh...

We have quite a few sunchokes from our CSA farm that I need to use. Luckily they are very good keepers. This is a sweet savory soup which is quick and easy to make. Sunchoke & Sweet Potato Soup 1 tablespoon olive oil 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes 1 bunch green garlic, washed and sliced (I think you could substitute some chopped garlic and green onions if you don't have green garlic available) 1 large onion, chopped 5-6 sunchokes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes 2 tsps fresh marjoram, washed and chopped (I used 2 teaspoons dried marjoram-since my plant isn't big enough to use any of yet) 4 cups chicken stock or broth 1 cup milk freshly ground black pepper sea salt to taste sour cream for serving I sprinkled Penzey's black and red spice lightly over the cooked soup and sour cream to give it an extra kick (this is strictly optional) Directions 1. In a medium-sized soup pot, heat the olive oil over a medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the onion an...

I'm not really a big sunchoke fan, so I'm always looking for interesting ways to use them that I'll like. Lemon Chicken with Sunchokes This Mid-East inspired dish uses plenty of garlic, saffron, thyme and pine nuts to flavor the chicken and sunchokes. The cream may be omitted to suit dietary needs. I used it and found it added a nice richness to the dish. Ingredients: 1 teaspoon lemon zest 1 fresh lemon 2 Tablespoons olive oil, divided use 1# boneless skinless chicken thighs Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 cup chicken broth 1/4 teaspoon saffron 1 pound sunchokes, peeled (or not as you wish) 10 garlic cloves, peeled and halved (yes--use this many!) 1/4 cup heavy cream 1 Tablespoon fresh thyme leaves (1 teaspoon dry if the fresh in unavailable) 1/4 cup pine nuts Hot, cooked rice or fettuccine Finely grate 1 teaspoon of zest from the lemon and set aside. Juice the lemons and set aside. Place a large, deep, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add 1 t...

I haven't posted any recipes recently, but I made this soup over the holidays and want to share it. Its a Carrot and Sunchoke Soup recipe that I found on another blog called theomnivoressolution.com. The author has the following comments on the recipe: "In this soup, the sweetness of carrots and the nuttiness of sunchokes predominate, accented by cardamom, nutmeg, fresh ginger, and the bright taste of a pink lady organic apple. Finished with a drizzle of deep green pumpkin oil and toasted pumpkin seeds, it provides a feast for the eyes as well as the soul." I did use an organic apple from Future Fruit Farm, but I don't remember what variety. I don't think it matters. 2 T olive oil 1 T butter 2 C chopped onion 2 large stalks celery, chopped 2 T finely chopped ginger root 2 tsp crushed cardamom 1/2 tsp grated nutmeg 2 tsp sea salt 4 C chopped organic carrots 2 C chopped sunchokes 1 juicy, flavorful apple, cored and chopped 4 C water To finish:1 can coconut milk fre...