Thayer in the Kitchen

This was adapted from a recipe of Wolfgang Puck's that I found in the Chicago Tribune a number of years ago. Finding myself with a red cabbage from our CSA farm I decided to try the recipe.  Arthur really liked it a lot and said I should post it. He's probably hoping that I'll make it again next season with a red cabbage.  I divided the recipe in half and it still makes a lot.  2 tablespoons oil 1 small to medium red onion, thinly sliced 1/2 cup packed brown sugar 2 apples, preferably tart, peeled and thinly sliced 1/4 cup red wine vinegar 1 cup each red wine and orange juice 1 cinnamon stick 1 teaspoon ground ginger 1/2 teaspoon salt Freshly ground pepper 2 pounds red cabbage, quartered, cored and thinly sliced.  I found this easy to do in food processor. Heat the oil and add the onion. Cook until translucent.  Sprinkle in the brown sugar; cook until it is melted and starts to caramelize.  Add the apples and stir to combine with the onio...

This is a great soup that uses local seasonal ingredients (mostly) and is easy as well as delicious. 1 tablespoon oil 1 cup chopped onions 1/2 - 1 cup chopped celery 3 cups (about) sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed 2 cups (about) ripe pears, cored and cubed (no need to peel) I used pears from Future Fruit 3-4 cups chicken or vegetable broth (depending on how thick you like your soup) 1/4-1/2 cup dry sherry or vermouth (optional but tasty) 1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest 1 cinnamon stick 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/4 teaspoon salt (or to taste) 1/4 teaspoon black pepper Plain yogurt or sour cream (optional) Thin slices of pear as a garnish for the soup Chopped fresh parsley if you have any Heat the oil and saute the onions and celery until tender but not brown (about 10 minutes). Add the sweet potatoes, pears, broth, sherry, cinnamon stick, orange zest, thyme and nutmeg. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer covered for 30-35 minutes ...

I went to a tea party Sunday afternoon and brought these scones.  I think they may be some of the best that I've every made.  Naturally I tweaked the original recipe. 2 1/2 cups unbleached white flour 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 3/4 cup butter (has to be butter) 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries 2/3 cup sugar 1/2 cup walnuts 1-2 teaspoons finely grated orange peel 3/4 cup buttermilk Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine the dry ingredients in your food processor, except for the sugar.  Add the butter.  Pulse on and off until butter is the size of peas.  Pour the mixture into a large bowl. Put the cranberries and sugar in the processor and pulse on and off until coarsely chopped. Add the chopped cranberries, walnuts and orange zest to the dry ingredients.  Add the buttermilk and stir until the dough comes together.  Gather into a ball and knead 6-8 times.  Add a bit of flour if it i...

This is another excellent recipe from one of my favorite food blogs, Simply Recipes.  I highly recommend you check out Elise Bauer's blog.  This recipe is a good way to use zucchini with a little different twist, which is the addition of rosemary and lemon to the bread. 3 cups flour 2 teaspoons baking soda 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 2 Tbsp minced fresh rosemary (not the dried rosemary) 2 eggs 1/2 cup melted unsalted butter 1/4 cup olive oil or sunflower seed oil 1/2 teaspoons salt 1 1/4 cup sugar 1 Tbsp lemon zest 3 cups grated zucchini (from about 1 pound of zucchini) 1 Preheat oven to 350F. Prepare two small loaf pans, either coating with butter or spraying with baking spray. 2 In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and rosemary. 3 Beat the eggs in a mixer (or by hand) until frothy. Beat in the sugar. Beat in the melted butter and oil. Stir in the lemon zest and grated zucchini. 4 Add the dry ingredients to the...

My sister originally made her Thanksgiving mashed potatoes using this recipe and it has become a family favorite in both parts of the country.  We typically spend Thanksgiving with one of my adult children and their families.  I am almost always asked to bring this recipe for Do Ahead Mashed Potatoes .  You can obviously make a smaller quantity, but we all like to have some to take home as leftovers to go with the turkey. 5 lbs. of peeled potatoes, cut in chunks 1 8 oz. package cream cheese 1 cup sour cream 1/2 cup green onions (scallions), chopped fine including some of the green tops 1/2 cup minced celery 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley 1/4 cup butter 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder Salt and pepper to taste 2 tablespoons butter 1/2 teaspoon paprika Cook potatoes in boiling salted water until tender.  As the potatoes are cooking, saute green onions, celery and parsley in the butter in a medium skillet until tender.  Drain potatoes and return pa...

This is definitely out of season here in Wisconsin, but it was such a wonderful and easy salad that I don't want to lose it.  MACSAC (Madison Area CSA Coalition) is working on a new cookbook.  I submitted this recipe for consideration, but I've decided to put it on my blog just in case it isn't selected.  2/3 bunch of arugula or about 4 oz. 2-3 cups of watermelon chunks (try to remove as many of the seeds as possible) 2 oz. goat cheese (I used a lovely cheese made by DreamFarm.  The flavor was apricot lavender and is offered seasonally) 1/4 cup pecan pieces 2 tablespoons or to taste of Annie's Pomegranate Vinaigrette Dressing Tear the arugula and place on a large plate or platter.  Top with the watermelon chunks, goat cheese and pecans.  Drizzle the dressing over the salad and serve immediately. Adapted from SOS Cuisine.com

I discovered after visiting Paula Deen's restaurant in Savannah that I love fried green tomatoes.  They are actually quite easy to make yourself and are a good use for tomatoes that don't ripen before frost sets in.  This recipe is adapted from Simply Recipes http://simplyrecipes.com/ .  Its a wonderful food blog with excellent recipes.  You might want to check out this recipe on her blog to see a yummy picture of what the tomatoes should look like when they are finished. 3 firm green tomatoes Salt 1/2 cup flour 1 teaspoon Cajun or Creole seasoning 1/2 cup buttermilk or milk 1 egg 1/2 cup cornmeal 1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs vegetable oil for frying Cut unpeeled tomatoes into 1/2 inch slices. Sprinkle slices with salt. Let tomato slices stand for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, place in separate shallow bowls: the flour and Cajun seasoning (if using), buttermilk and egg, and bread crumbs and cornmeal. Heat the oil in a skillet on medium heat. Beat the ...