Ideal Bite

Pumpkin Pie Martini
Serves 1

Ingredients:
(local and organic whenever possible)

Puree (makes enough for about 15 cocktails - you can refrigerate leftovers):
• 1 small pumpkin, 2-3 pounds
• 1/2 cup maple syrup

Martini:
• 1 1/2 oz Koval Vodka
• 1 oz Crème de Cacao
• 1/2 oz heavy cream
• 1 oz homemade pumpkin puree
• Whipped cream as garnish

To make the pumpkin puree, split the pumpkin in half and seed it. Remove the stringy fibers by scraping the insides with a metal spoon. Place the two halves cut side down in a roasting pan along with a cup of water and bake the pumpkin until very tender at 350 degrees (about 90 minutes). Scoop the flesh out of each pumpkin half. Puree in a food processor fitted with a metal chopping blade, add one cup of maple syrup, and use as needed.

Pour all ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake and strain into a chilled martini glass, lightly rimmed with fresh whipped cream (spread the whipped cream on a plate and dip glass in upside down - see photo).

Sweet Potato and Broccoli Salad
Serves 4

Ingredients:
(local and organic whenever possible)

•  3 large sweet potatoes, washed and cut into quarters
•  2 medium heads broccoli

For marinade:
•  1 cup olive oil
•  2 large garlic cloves, pressed
•  6 Tb lemon juice
•  4 Tb red wine vinegar
•  2 Tb agave syrup
•  1 Tb dry mustard
•  2 1/2 tsp salt
•  Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For garnish:
•  1 small, thinly sliced green apple
•  3/4 cup chopped toasted pecans

Directions:

Place the sweet potato quarters into a large saucepan, cover with salted water, and bring to a boil. Simmer over medium heat for about 7-10 minutes. Test with a fork for doneness; potatoes should be cooked through but not breaking apart. Drain in a colander.

Combine marinade ingredients in a medium-large bowl. As soon as the sweet potato quarters are done, add them, still hot, to the marinade. Mix gently.

In another pot of boiling water, add broccoli and cook until bright green and just tender (4-7 minutes). Rinse under cold running water and drain completely. Lay the broccoli spears carefully on top of salad. Cover tightly and marinate for several hours.

After salad has marinated for at least 3 hours, mix in broccoli and serve with apple and pecan garnish.

Lasagna Legume
Serves 6

Ingredients:
(local and organic whenever possible)

• 2 yellow squash (peeled, seeded, and diced)
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 1/4 cup vegetable stock
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1 Tb honey
• 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
• 1 Tb extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 eggplant (thinly sliced)
• 2 zucchini (thinly sliced)
• 1 each: red, yellow, and orange pepper (julienne cut)
• 1 1/2 cup ricotta cheese (drain/press out excess liquid)

Directions:

Begin by creating a squash puree. Combine diced squash, white wine, vegetable stock, and half the garlic in a roasting dish. Roast 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees. Pour off and save excess liquid. Blend the remaining ingredients using a handheld mixer or food processor. Slowly add the excess liquid and continue mixing until it has reached a smooth consistency. Add the honey and ginger.

Next, heat a skillet over medium low and add the olive oil. Add the rest of the minced garlic and sauté until golden. Sauté the eggplant until lightly browned, and remove from pan. In the same pan, sauté the zucchini and peppers until just-cooked, and place on towels to absorb excess oil.

Begin by layering eggplant in a nonstick casserole dish. Next layer the vegetables. Then add a layer of the puree. Then add a layer of cheese. Repeat layers until you've used all ingredients. Bake at 350 degrees for 34-40 minutes.

Everything Nice
Makes one cocktail
 
Ingredients:
(local and organic whenever possible)

• 1 graham cracker
• 2 oz Modern Spirits Pumpkin Pie vodka
• 1 oz heavy cream
• 2 tsp maple syrup
• Splash of orange liqueur

Directions:

For graham cracker rim, pulse 2 graham crackers in food processor until the texture's similar to margarita salt. Pour onto a plate. Wet rim of martini glass with a little water, lemon juice, or vodka and press martini glass into graham crackers to coat the rim.

Combine the vodka, cream, syrup, and liqueur in a cocktail shaker, and shake away.

Strain contents of shaker into the graham-cracker-rimmed martini glass.

BLT Cocktail
Makes 4 cocktails

Ingredients:
(local and organic whenever possible)

•  1 head romaine lettuce
•  4 tomatoes
•  1 lemon wedge
•  Bacon salt (try J&D's Bacon Salt)
•  Vodka (try Dry Fly Washington Wheat Vodka)
•  Pepper or hot sauce to taste

Directions:

Puree romaine lettuce; pour into mini ice cube trays and freeze. Puree tomatoes and chill in fridge. Once cubes are frozen, wet the rim of your glass by rubbing the lemon wedge around the edge, and then dip the glass's rim into bacon salt. Pour equal parts vodka and prepared tomato puree into glass. Add two or three pureed lettuce cubes. Mix in a dash or two of pepper or hot sauce for extra kick.

Phyllo Wrapped Medjool Dates
Makes 6

Ingredients:
(local and organic whenever possible)

• 6 pitted dates
• 3 oz blue cheese
• 6 1-by-2-inch slices of prosciutto
• 3 half pieces of phyllo dough (usually sold frozen in sheets; just chop each sheet in two)
• 1/2 cup melted butter

Directions:

Stuff each date with a half ounce of blue cheese, then wrap each date with a slice of prosciutto. Brush each half sheet of phyllo dough liberally with melted butter and stack all of them on top of each other. Line up dates tightly, end-to-end, across the short side of the dough, then roll over like sushi, press dough together, seal with a little melted butter and cut off any excess dough. Brush the entire roll with more butter. Bake roll in the oven on a greased baking sheet at 375 degrees for about 15-20 minutes or until the dough is golden brown. Slice into individual pieces (about the length of one date) and serve with a light side salad. 

Classic Tarte Tatin
Serves 4

Ingredients:
(local and organic whenever possible)

Crust:
• 4 Tb unsalted butter, softened
• 3 Tb superfine sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 cup flour
• Pinch of salt

Filling:
• 6 Tb butter, softened
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 10 firm apples, peeled, cored, and thickly sliced (Granny Smith or Jonathan are best)

Directions:

For the crust, mix butter and sugar together in a medium bowl until light and fluffy. Add egg, sift in the flour and salt, and mix until soft. Knead on a lightly floured surface, then wrap in a damp towel and refrigerate 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a round, 9-inch pan, melt 4 tablespoons of the butter on a burner at medium-low. Remove from heat and sprinkle with 1/3 cup of brown sugar. Arrange apple slices on top, sprinkle with remaining sugar and butter. Return the pan to the burner, and heat at low-medium for about 15 minutes, until a light caramel forms on the bottom. Remove from heat.

Roll out pastry on a lightly floured surface, then lay it on top of the apples and tuck in the edges. Bake until golden, about 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven and cool 5 minutes. Place an upturned plate on top of the tart and, holding the two together with a kitchen towel, invert the apple tart onto the plate.