Hearth 'n Kettle Creamed Butternut Squash & Apple Soup

Dick Catania of Hearth and Kettle shared a recipe for a butternut squash soup that has been very popular when served at the restaurants. We found it really good and perfect for a dinner on a cold evening. The texture of the soup is quite elegant because it is strained at the end; for a more rustic soup just omit that step.

Ingredients:
2.5 lbs butternut squash (about 2 small ones)
1 lb apples (Cortand are ideal)
1/2 inch cinnamon stick
1 quart chicken stock (homemade or low sodium commercial)
1/4 lb unsalted butter
3 TB pure maple syrup
1/4 tsp dry ginger
Salt and pepper to taste
A few scrapings of whole nutmeg
1 cup light cream

Method:
Peel butternut squash and cut into 1" cubes. Quarter apples. Combine squash, apples, and cinnamon in steamer and steam for about 15 minutes until squash is easily pierced with a paring knife. Remove squash mixture from steamer and run through a food mill. Place milled squash mixture in a soup pot. Add all other ingredients except cream and bring to a boil over high heat. When mixture boils reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally for fifteen minutes. Put cream in separate saucepan and warm gently to just below boiling. Add cream to squash soup and heat briefly. Strain soup through a medium sieve pushing with a spatula. Taste to adjust seasoning. Serve.

Ali's Salad Pizza

If you've ever listened to Ali's segment on WCAI/NAN, you can hear her voice in the written words below. Ali got this recipe from her friend Kathy Forsythe who made it for a potluck. Ali claims that you don't need to use fresh mozzarella or the most expensive chevre for this pizza. Fresh mozzarella is too milky and will make the crust soggy. She does recommend yellow onions or Vidalia, if in season.

Wash and dry about 3-4 handfuls of arugula, removing any long stems. Tear, if you want, into sizes you like. Wash and slice Roma tomatoes like coins.

Whisk together a small amount of good olive oil and balsamic vinegar and set aside. Toss the arugula and tomatoes in the dressing only right before the pizza comes out of the oven because it'll get soggy if it sits in the dressing for a while.

Preheat oven to 450F with a pizza stone inside, heating up. A stone is strongly recommended but not compulsory. Assemble all the ingredients and have them ready: caramelized onions, shredded mozzarella, chevre, parmesan cheese, olive oil, salt, pepper, salad dressing, washed and dried arugula, sliced tomatoes.

Roll your pizza dough as thin as possible. Put it on the hot stone. Brush with a good olive oil and season with kosher salt and fresh ground pepper.

Spread a layer of caramelized onions over and around the dough.

Sprinkle about 1/2 - 3/4 cup of shredded mozzarella and with your fingers - dot about 1/2 a small cylinder of chevre. Shave some parm over these cheeses. I use a sharp potato peeler to do this.

Bake for 7-10 minutes - until it gets crisp and golden brown. Then with a pizza peel if you've one, remove it and put it on a cutting board. Immediately spread it with the freshly tossed salad and season the whole thing with salt, pepper, and a few more shavings of parm. Serve and enjoy!

Border Bay Junction Farm Roasted, Stuffed Lamb Shoulder

Greg Hamm at Border Bay Junction Farm is a passionate cook. When we visited with them, Cokie raved about a rolled shoulder roast Greg had recently prepared. He shared the recipe with us and, Cokie is right, this is absolutely delicious - the mushroom stuffing adds an elegant dimension to the lamb.

Ingredients:
1 cup minced onion
2 garlic cloves minced
1/2 pound fresh mushrooms
2 TB butter
1 TB olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
1 cup fresh breadcrumbs
2 tbsp fresh parsley finely chopped
1 TB fresh thyme chopped
Salt and pepper
1 boned shoulder of lamb-about 3.5 pounds
Additional olive oil

Method:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Chop mushrooms finely or cut up and pulse in food processor until the pieces are the size of small pebbles. Heat butter and olive oil in pan over medium heat until butter foams and subsides. Add chopped onion and garlic and sauté until onion is translucent - about 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms, salt, pepper and lemon juice and stir for 5 minutes. Add the breadcrumbs, stir to combine and remove from heat. Add parsley and thyme and set aside.

Lay lamb fat side down on a flat surface. Salt and pepper lamb liberally. Spoon mushroom filling onto the lamb and spread to cover lamb as evenly as possible. Roll the lamb to surround the filling. This may be a little messy as the filling will squirt out, but stick with it and make it as neat as possible. Tie the rolled roast in several places with kitchen twine. Rub the roast with olive oil.

Place roast fat side up on a rack in a small roasting pan and put in the oven. Roast for about an hour and fifteen minutes until the center of the roll reaches 125 degrees on a meat thermometer (this will yield medium rare meat). Remove roast and tent with foil and let rest for at least 15 minutes. Untie roast, slice carefully across the roast and serve.

5-Mile Lamb Chops with Butternut Squash and Roasted Garlic

Although there appear to be a lot of steps in this recipe, it can be prepared in about 45 minutes. It is '5 mile' because all of the ingredients, except the olive oil, were produced within 5 miles of our kitchen in Cummaquid.

Ingredients:
One medium butternut squash
One head of garlic (about 12 cloves)
4 inch sprig of fresh rosemary
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
6 rib lamb chops-bones cleaned
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
Salt & pepper
Additional olive oil

Method:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Separate garlic cloves, but leave peels on. Put cloves together with olive oil and rosemary sprig in small heavy saucepan with lid; place pan uncovered over medium heat until garlic just starts to sizzle. Turn heat down to low and cover with lid. Cook gently until garlic is easily pierced with a paring knife - about 20 minutes. Do not let garlic burn! Remove rosemary sprig and discard. Remove garlic cloves from oil, let them cool, and then peel; the peels should virtually fall off. Reserve garlic and oil separately.

While garlic is cooking, peel butternut squash and cut into 3/4-inch cubes. Place squash in roasting pan, lightly coat it with olive oil, salt and pepper, and place in preheated oven. Roast until the squash can be pierced easily with a fork and is lightly browned - about 30 minutes. Remove and set aside.

Pat lamb chops dry with paper towels and salt and pepper generously. Place large skillet over medium high heat (you don't want to crowd the chops); add 1 tbsp olive oil and lamb chops. Sear on one side for 4 minutes and turn. Sear other side for about 2 minutes for rare or 4 minutes for medium. Remove lamb to heated plate, tent with foil, and let rest for 5 minutes

Arrange roasted squash on dinner plates. Place lamb chops on top and garnish with the roasted garlic cloves. Drizzle reserved garlic oil over the lamb.

Serves 2

Papparadelle with Lamb

Cape chefs have heard about the lamb from Border Bay Junction Farm and have been creating menus to feature it. Chef Heather Allen at The Regatta in Cotuit created this delicious recipe, a favorite of Greg and Cokie Hamm. We tried it one of the first cold nights of the season and it really hit the spot.

Ingredients:
1 lb ground lamb
1 small onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup chopped shiitake mushrooms
1/4 cup whipping cream
2 cups canned tomatoes
1 bay leaf
Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
Salt & pepper to taste
1 lb dried pappardelle pasta
2 tbsp fresh basil

Method:
Sauté lamb over medium-high heat to about medium rare. Add mushrooms, onions, and garlic; sweat until onions are translucent. Add bay leaf, crushed red pepper flakes, and whipping cream.
Bring to a simmer for a few minutes, until cream is reduced by half.

Using your hands, crush tomatoes into lamb mixture. Bring back to simmer over medium-high heat. Lower and gently simmer for an hour stirring frequently. Remove bay leaf. Taste carefully and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile bring a large pot of water (at least 5 quarts) to a full boil. Salt water liberally. When lamb sauce is almost done add pasta to rapidly boiling water. Cook pasta until tender but firm. Drain pasta and add to the pan with the lamb mixture. Stir gently to lightly coat the pasta with the sauce. Add chopped basil and serve with a rich red wine.

Serve over herbed Pappardelle pasta.

Serves 4 as a main course or 6 as a pasta course

Baked Barbecue Blue Oysters
Courtesy Naked Oyster

Purists say that the only preparation oysters benefit from is shucking and eating. For the most part we agree, but we think the warm, composed oysters at the Naked Oyster are incredibly good. Rick Angelini and David Kelley were kind enough to share a recipe for one of them - which just happens to be our favorite…

Serves 4 as an appetizer

Ingredients:
12 fresh shucked oysters in their shells (Naked Oyster uses Wellfleet Oysters)
Caramelized onions (an Edible Cape Cod recipe follows)
Barbecue sauce (Naked Oyster makes their own-I have included an Edible Cape Cod version below)
Great Hill Blue Cheese
Small piece of uncooked bacon (optional, but really good)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and put rack in middle.
Lay oysters in a shallow baking pan, face up in their bottom shells.
To each oyster add:
1 Tbsp of caramelized onions
1 tsp of Barbecue Sauce
Small chunk of Blue Cheese
Small piece of bacon

Method:
Bake in preheated oven for about ten to fifteen minutes or until the cheese has melted. Let rest for a minute or two and serve.

This is delicious with a French Sancerre wine.

Edible Cape Cod Barbecue Sauce

Ingredients:
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
3 cups dark stock (home made chicken, or store bought low sodium beef or chicken)
1/2 cup Gulden's spicy brown mustard
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
Scant 2 tsp liquid smoke (careful with this it is very strong)
1/2 cup tomato paste
1/2 cup ketchup
2 Tbsp chili powder
1 Tbsp paprika
Salt and Tabasco Sauce to taste

Method:
Combine all ingredients except salt and Tabasco in a heavy saucepan. If you don't have a heavy saucepan, fashion a ring, big enough to fit comfortably on your stove burner, out of about a foot long sheet of aluminum foil. Put ring on burner and nestle pan on it so it is secure-this is to keep sauce from burning. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring often with spatula. Reduce heat to low, and regulate so sauce is barely simmering. Simmer for about two hours, stirring often to prevent scorching. Add salt and Tabasco sauce to taste. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

This sauce freezes very well.

Caramelized Onions

Ingredients:
1 lb (about 3 cups) yellow onions, sliced thinly
2 Tbsp olive oil
Pinch of salt
Pinch of sugar
Fresh ground pepper

Method:
Heat heavy pan over medium heat. Add oil and, when it shimmers slightly, add onions and stir to coat with oil.
Reduce heat to low, cover pan, and cook onions slowly for 20 minutes, stirring once or twice. Uncover pan, raise heat to medium, and add a pinch of sugar, salt, and a few grindings of pepper. Leaving pan uncovered, cook for 25 minutes stirring frequently, until onions are nicely browned. Remove from heat and taste to adjust salt and add pepper. Set aside to cool.

Salmon en Croute
Courtesy Truro Vineyards

This dish is surprisingly light-the salmon steams gently in the phyllo dough packages and the lemon and white wine balance the richness of the other ingredients.

Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 lb. skinless salmon filet
1 bunch arugula, washed, dried, and chopped
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 cup sour cream
4 Tbsp fresh dill, chopped fine
6 sheets phyllo dough
1/4 lb. (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup citrus dill beurre blanc (recipe follows)

Method:
Preheat oven to 475 degrees and put oven rack in the middle.

Run your fingers over salmon to check for any pin bones. Remove any you find with tweezers or needle nose pliers.
Cut salmon filet into four portions, and set aside. Mix chopped dill with sour cream in small bowl and set aside.
Heat 2 Tbsp butter in pan over medium high heat until butter foams and then subsides. Sauté arugula over medium high heat until just wilted, about 2 minutes. Season arugula with salt and pepper and set aside.

Have melted stick butter and pastry brush handy. Remove one sheet of phyllo dough, covering the remainder with a damp kitchen towel that is covered with plastic wrap. Place phyllo sheet on a clean surface and brush the top with melted butter. Place a second sheet on top of the first and brush with butter. Place a third sheet on the first two and again brushing with butter. Cut the package of dough into half widthwise so that you have two stacks of three half phyllo sheets. Repeat process with three remaining sheets of phyllo dough.

You should have four stacks of buttered dough. (Remaining phyllo sheets can be refrigerated for later use.) Working quickly, mound 1/4 of the arugula in center of each piece of phyllo dough. Top each arugula mound with one portion of salmon filet, and salt and pepper lightly. Top each salmon fillet with 1/4 of the sour cream-dill blend.
Fold each piece of phyllo dough over the fish and tuck edges under to seal like a package.

Place the four phyllo packages portions on a cookie sheet, Brush tops with melted butter, and bake for 8-12 minutes until golden brown. Spoon Citrus Dill Beurre Blanc (recipe below) to cover half of warmed dinner place. Place salmon in center of plate, garnish with fresh dill sprigs and serve.

Citrus Dill Beurre Blanc

Beurre Blanc is a reduction of wine and flavorings (sometimes with cream added) into which small pieces of solid butter are whisked in, off heat, before serving The idea is to create an emulsion - not to melt the butter. This is a technique worth learning because it is so versatile.

Ingredients:
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup Sauvignon Blanc (Truro Vineyard's Sauvignon Blanc is excellent in this)
1/4 cup lemon juice (1-2 lemons)
2 Tbsp unsalted butter, chilled
1 Tbsp fresh dill, chopped fine

Method:
Combine cream, wine, and lemon juice in saucepan. Rapidly simmer and reduce by half, stirring frequently until mixture coats back of spoon. Remove from heat and swirl in small bits of butter until smooth-add the next piece of butter only after the last has been incorporated. Add dill, check seasoning, and add salt and pepper if needed.
Serve with Salmon en Croute as described above.

Grilled Cherrystone Clams
Courtesy of various members of B.A.R.S.

This recipe (if you can call something so effortless a recipe) is incredibly simple and the smoke from the grill makes the clams very delicious. We recently enjoyed these clams with a group seated close to our grill, so we could remove clams and serve them immediately. With the clams we also served grilled linquica and grilled young onions from a farmstand.

The key to grilled clams is to cook them over a hot, smoky fire until they just open. Have tongs, oven mitts, and a platter handy, because the clams get very hot. We have included a basic recipe and two variations - we are sure that readers will come up with variations of their own.

Ingredients:
Cherrystone-size clams (as many as you want - we went through about three dozen among five people
2-3 Hickory wood chunks or 1 cup of wood chips

Method:
Soak wood chunks or chips in water for an hour or more. Build hot charcoal fire - so you can hold your hand 5 inches over coals for only 2-3 seconds and add wet wood chunks. Or heat gas grill to high and add a foil packet with wood chips. Put grate on grill and wait for fire to smoke. Lay clams on grill and put lid on. Peek at clams after 2 minutes, and remove any that have opened - try not to spill the juice out of the clams. Close grill and repeat peeking and removing open clams every 30 seconds or so. Discard any clams that refuse to open. Serve clams with a dash of Tabasco sauce, and a lot of crisp white wine or cold beer.

Variation One: Grilled Clams with Bacon
After opened clams have been removed from grill, let cool for a minute or two. Remove top shell of clam. Add small piece of uncooked bacon to each clam. Put clams back on grill, and cook for just a minute or two. Remove and serve.

Variation Two: Grilled Clams with Cocktail Sauce
Remove cooked clams from grill, and let cool for a minute. Put 1 tsp of cocktail sauce in each clam (either store bought, or make your own by mixing ketchup, plenty of horseradish, lemon, and a few drops of Worcestershire and Tabasco sauce). Put clams back on the grill for two minutes, remove, and serve.

The balance of sweet and tart in this sauce is delicious with duck. We think it is especially worth seeking out the wine and jam listed as it would be difficult to replace given the unique tart quality that the cranberry gives them.

Serves 2

Ingredients:
1 skin-on boneless duck breast, split into two halves
1 Tbsp olive oil
Salt and fresh-cracked Pepper
3 oz Chatham Cranberry-Raspberry Jam
2 Tbsp Truro Vineyards Cranberry Light Wine
1 tsp Balsamic Vinegar

Method:
Heat gas grill to medium or prepare charcoal grill so you can hold your hand four inches over coals comfortably for about 5 seconds.

Meanwhile combine cranberry-raspberry jam, Cranberry Light wine, and balsamic vinegar in a small saucepan, and cook over high heat until hot, bubbly, and reduced slightly-about 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and set sauce aside.

Score skin of duck breast pieces very lightly-you want to have slits in the skin, but not on the flesh underneath-this helps to drain the fat drain and crisp the skin. Rub duck breast lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place duck on heated grill, skin side down, and grill 5 minutes. Flip duck and grill on other side for an additional 5 minutes for medium rare. Remove breasts to a plate, and let rest for about 5 minutes.

Place cooked breast on clean work surface and slice crosswise into 1/4 inch-thick slices. Divide meat between two, warmed dinner plates, arranging attractively, and spoon sauce over duck.

This is great with wild rice.

Bleu's Three-Color Tomato Salad with Parmesan Toasts

2 farmers red tomatoes
2 yellow tomatoes
2 purple or sweet green tomatoes
salt and pepper
2 sprigs of basil
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoon aged balsamic vinegar
8 slices of baguette
8 small pieces of Parmesano reggiano cheese

In a food processor, puree the basil leaves with salt. Add the olive oil slowly. Wash the tomatoes and cut in small cubes. Add the basil oil and let marinade for 10 to 15 minutes. Plate the tomato salad and drizzle the vinegar on top. Melt the Parmesan cheese on the toast in the oven and place around the tomatoes.

Serves 4 people

Hint: Never refrigerate summer tomatoes. They are juicer and sweeter at room temperature.

Blueberry Buckle

Blend together:
1 cup sugar
1 cup shortening
1 large egg

Stir in:
1 cup whole milk

Sift:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
Blend in 2 cups blueberries.
Spread in greased and floured 9" pan.

Mix together:
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup soft unsalted butter
And spread on top of batter
Bake at 375 for 45-50 minutes.

Frederica (Ricky) Langeland, our sister-in-law and a published cookbook writer, insists this is the best blueberry jam recipe she's ever made. Ricky advises using the freshest fruit available as blueberries have very little natural pectin even when fresh, and less as they mature, hence the lemon. This jam may be made without the lemon juice, but will take much longer to set without it.

Frederica (Ricky) Langeland, our sister-in-law and a published cookbook writer, insists this is the best blueberry jam recipe she's ever made. Ricky advises using the freshest fruit available as blueberries have very little natural pectin even when fresh, and less as they mature, hence the lemon. This jam may be made without the lemon juice, but will take much longer to set without it.

Ingredients:
3 lbs. blueberries
1 cup water or Apple Juice
1 stick cinnamon or 1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, if desired
6 cups sugar
1 lemon

Method:
Wash and pick over the blueberries. Place in a heavy-bottomed pot. Mash just enough to juice up some of the berries. Add the water and spice, if using. Bring to the boil over low heat then simmer until the berries have burst. Stir in the lemon juice and sugar until dissolved, and continue to boil gently until the jam sets, skimming as necessary, about 20 minutes longer.

Remove the cinnamon stick before bottling. Ladle the jam while still hot into warm, sterilized jars, leaving a small headspace. If using paraffin to seal, pour it onto the jam when all the jars are filled. Otherwise, wipe the rims clean, place new lids on the jars and tighten down, then invert the jars for a few minutes to seal. Set upright, and cool completely. Label with variety and date.