Belgian Endive and Ham Au Gratin
Ingredients:
8 sm Head belgian endive
Squeeze lemon juice
Seasoning
8 Thin slices cooked ham
SAUCE
2 tb Butter or margarine
1/4 c Flour
1 1/4 c Milk
1/2 c To 3/4 c grated cheddar or
-gruyere cheese
TOPPING
1/2 c To 3/4 c fresh soft bread
-crumbs
1/4 c Grated cheddar or gruyere
-cheese
2 Tomatoes

Instructions:
1. Trim the bottom of the endive heads and remove the outer leaves if necessary.
2. Cook in boiling salted water with a squeeze of lemon juice for about 15 minutes until JUST tender.
3. Drain well and wrap each head of endive in a slice of ham, then put into the baking dish.
4. Prepare the sauce while the endive is cooking. To make this, heat the butter in a saucepan.
5. Remove from heat, stir in the flour, return to the heat and cook for several minutes.
6. Remove from heat and blend in the milk. Stir over a low heat until thickened, add seasoning and 3 tbsp of the endive stock.
7. Add the cheese to the sauce, pour over the ham and endived.
8. Top with crumbs and cheese, brown under the broiler, then top with sliced tomatoes.

Broccoli Raab Saute

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 medium cloves garlic, cut into very thin slices
• Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 bunches broccoli raab, washed, stems removed (1 1/2 pounds)
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet or saute pan over medium heat.

2. Add garlic and crushed red pepper flakes; stir to combine. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring often, for about 2 minutes, being careful not to let the garlic burn.

3. Add broccoli raab in 2 batches and cook, stirring occasionally, 4-6 minutes, until just wilted and tender.

4. Season with salt and pepper to taste; serve hot.

Bok Choy Salad

• 1 medium head bok choy, diced
• 1 bunch green onions, chopped
• 1 (3 ounce) package ramen noodles
• 1/2 cup blanched slivered almonds
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 3 teaspoons lemon juice
•
• Combine bok choy and green onions; cover and chill.
• Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice and ramen noodle seasoning packet. Refrigerate until chilled.
• Break ramen noodles into small pieces; combine with toasted almonds and sesame seeds.
• Before serving, combine the cabbage mixture and noodle mixture; add dressing and toss to coat.

Stir-Fried Pork with Napa Cabbage

• 1 (1-lb) pork tenderloin
• 2 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 4 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar (not seasoned)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons water
• 2 lb Napa cabbage, quartered lengthwise, cored, and cut crosswise into 1 1/2-inch pieces (10 cups)
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped peeled fresh ginger
• 1/4 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves

Trim off and discard any silver skin from pork (do not trim fat). Cut pork across grain into 1/4-inch-thick slices, then toss with 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 2 teaspoons cornstarch, and 1 tablespoon sugar in a bowl.
Stir together vinegar, salt, remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce, and remaining 1/2 tablespoon sugar in a small bowl.
Stir together water and remaining 2 teaspoons cornstarch in a cup.
Rinse cabbage in a large colander. Tap colander lightly, then transfer cabbage to a large bowl with water still clinging to leaves.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat until hot but not smoking, then add pork in 1 layer as quickly as possible. Cook, undisturbed, until pork begins to brown, about 3 minutes, then turn over and cook, undisturbed, until browned but still pink in center, about 1 minute more. Transfer pork and any juices to a plate. Do not clean skillet.
Heat remaining tablespoon oil in skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then stir-fry garlic and ginger 30 seconds. Add half of cabbage and stir-fry over high heat until cabbage is wilted, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in remaining cabbage (skillet will be very full), along with any water in bowl, and soy sauce mixture, then cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until all of cabbage is tender, 4 to 5 minutes.
Add pork, along with any juices accumulated on plate, and bring to a boil. Stir cornstarch mixture, then pour into skillet and boil, stirring, until sauce is slightly thickened, about 1 minute. Season with salt, then serve sprinkled with cilantro.

Radish Top Soup

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 medium potatoes, sliced
• 4 cups raw radish greens
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 5 radishes, sliced

• Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onion, and saute until tender. Mix in the potatoes and radish greens, coating them with the butter. Pour in chicken broth. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes.
• Allow the soup mixture to cool slightly, and transfer to a blender. Blend until smooth.
• Return the mixture to the saucepan. Mix in the heavy cream. Cook and stir until well blended. Serve with radish slices.

Cream of Turnip and Potato Soup
4 tbl spoons butter
2 large turnips, peeled and chopped
1 large onion peeled and chopped
1 large potato, peeled and chopped
1 tbl spoon of cornflour
1 litre of warm chicken stock (vegetable if preferred) 1 bay leaf
Freshly grate nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste
200 mls of single cream
1 medium carrot, finely grated

In a large casserole, melt butter over a medium heat. When froth disappears, add chopped turnips, onion and potato. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 7 minutes, until onion is tender and translucent but not golden. Using a slotted spoon, remove vegetables from casserole; reserve. Away from heat, stir flour into casserole juices, until smooth. Slowly pour in chicken broth, stirring. Simmer for 3 minutes, until slightly thickened. Transfer reserved vegetables back into casserole; add bay leaf and sprinkle with nutmeg, salt and pepper. Lower heat; simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, until vegetables are soft, stirring occasionally. Remove casserole from heat, discard bay leaf and puree soup mixture, a little at a time, into a blender. Pour puree back into casserole; return over low heat. Stir in cream; simmer soup for 4 minutes, until hot. Do not boil. Remove casserole from heat; pour soup into 4 individual bowls. Sprinkle each bowl with a little finely grated carrot and serve.

Poor Patty Power’s Pepper Soup

This soup works well with red or orange peppers, and the taste is nothing like you’d expect (which means it’s much different and better than the taste of peppers alone)!

You’ll need about 1 medium to large pepper per serving. This recipe assumes a serving for 4 or 5 people:

Roast the peppers in the oven on an oiled pan at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes. You can turn the peppers periodically until the skin starts to brown and blister. While the peppers are still hot, transfer them to an airtight container or zip-lock bag. After about five minutes, the skin of the pepper should peel right off. Toss out the skin, stem, and seeds and transfer the peppers to a bowl.

Melt 2 tablespoons of SMC butter or olive oil in a large soup pot. Add about 2 cups of diced sweet onions and 1 or 2 large cloves of finely minced garlic, l teaspoon of salt, ½ teaspoon of pepper and a ½ teaspoon of ground cumin.

Simmer these ingredients for about 5 minutes, and then stir in the peppers. Cook the mixture for about 10 to 12 minutes on low heat, watching to not burn the mix to the pan.

With the mix still simmering, slowly stir in 1 tablespoon of unbleached flour. Cook the new mix for about 5 minutes, then add ½ cup of water and cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes.

Remove the pot from heat and allow the mixture to cool for a few minutes. Add the mixture to your blender and puree it on a low setting initially with 2 ½ cups of SMC milk.

Return the soup to your pot and heat it very slowly. Just before serving, you can optionally add in some finely diced scallions, some fresh cilantro, or fresh basil.

After the soup is served in bowls, add a dollop of SMC sour cream to the center of each bowl.

A great fall soup that everyone will enjoy!

Baked Delicata Squash with Lime Butter
2 (3/4 pound each) delicata squash
3 tablespoons SMC butter, softened
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 teaspoon chili powder
Salt and coarsely ground pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cut squash in half lengthwise and remove fibers and seeds. Place cut-side down in a glass baking dish and add water to the dish to a depth of 1/4 inch. Bake 30 minutes or until squash is soft but not mushy. Remove from oven.
In a small bowl, combine butter, lime juice, and chili powder; stir until well blended. Season with salt and pepper. spoon the butter mixture into baked squash cavities and serve hot.

Curried Butternut Squash Soup
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup chopped onions
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Red (cayenne) pepper to taste
2 1/2 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded, halved lengthwise, and sliced thin
3 cups vegetable or chicken broth
3 cups water
1 pound tart apples, peeled, cored, and chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
In a large soup pot over medium heat, heat olive or vegetable oil. Add onion and sauté until golden brown. Add garlic, curry powder, cumin, and cayenne pepper; cook, stirring constantly, 30 seconds. Add squash, vegetable or chicken broth, water, and apples. Bring liquid to a boil; reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, 25 minutes or until squash is tender. Remove from heat and cool 15 to 20 minutes.
Puree mixture in a blender or food processor, in batches, and transfer back into soup pot. Season with salt and pepper.
NOTE: At this point, soup may be refrigerated until ready to serve.
To serve, warm over low heat, stirring until hot. Remove from heat and serve in soup bowls.

HERBED SPAGHETTI SQUASH
• 1 small spaghetti squash, about 2 1/4 pounds
• 2 1/2 tablespoons SMC butter
• 2 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped mixed soft herbs , such as basil, chives, chervil, parsley and sage
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Using a sharp knife, cut the squash in half lengthwise and place, cut side down, in a baking dish. Add enough water to come 1/2-inch up the sides of the baking dish and cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 45 minutes, until the squash is easily pierced with a paring knife. Turn squash over and cover with foil again and continue to cook another 15 minutes, until the squash is very tender. Remove from the oven, uncover, and allow to cool slightly. Using a spoon, remove the seeds and discard. Using a fork, gently pull the strands of squash away from the peel and place the squash strands into a mixing bowl.
Heat a skillet. Add the butter, spaghetti squash, herbs, salt and pepper and toss thoroughly but gently to heat and combine. Serve immediately or cover and keep warm until ready to serve.

Roasted Beets ‘n’ Sweets
• 6 medium beets, peeled and cut into chunks
• 2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 3 medium sweet potatoes, cut into chunks
• 1 large sweet onion, chopped
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• In a bowl, toss the beets with 1/2 tablespoon olive oil to coat. Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet.
• Mix the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and sugar in a large resealable plastic bag. Place the sweet potatoes and onion in the bag. Seal bag, and shake to coat vegetables with the oil mixture.
• Bake beets 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Mix sweet potato mixture with the beets on the baking sheet. Continue baking 45 minutes, stirring after 20 minutes, until all vegetables are tender.
Southern Greens

• 5 to 6 pounds assorted greens — collards, kale, mustard, turnip, etc.
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 or 2 jalapeno or serrano chile peppers, seeded and minced, optional
• 1 smoked turkey leg, smoked pork chops, or ham hock
• seasoned salt and ground black pepper or seasoned pepper
Tear the greens into large pieces. Wash the greens well in a sink full of cold water, lifting greens out and letting grit stay on bottom of sink. Drain sink, change water and wash again; repeat washings until there is no grit on the greens. Cut away tough stems; roll large leaves and cut in strips or chop.
In a large kettle, combine the chopped onions, 2 cups water, oil, and chile pepper, if using. Bring to a boil over high heat. Gradually stir in the greens, allowing each batch to wilt before adding more geens. Put turkey leg or smoked meat in greens. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 45 minutes to 1 hour, to your taste. Remove meat from bone; chop and return to pot. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the greens to a serving dish; serve hot.
Serve with cornbread.
Mixed Mushrooms With Sage

• 4 tablespoons butter
• 8 ounces sliced mushrooms, mixed, baby bellas, or button mushrooms
• 12 medium to large sage leaves
• salt and pepper, to taste
In a large skillet over medium-low heat, melt butter. Add mushrooms and sage. Cook, stirring frequently, until mushrooms are golden brown and tender, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Serve as a first course, appetizer, or side dish.
Serves 4 as a side dish.

Savory Mushrooms:

• 1 pound fresh sliced mushrooms
• 2 tablespoons dry sherry
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley
In a skillet combine sliced mushrooms, sherry, butter, paprika, seasoned salt, and pepper. Cover and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about 8 to 10 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley before serving. Serve savory mushrooms as a side dish with roasted or grilled meat