PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE using Night Sky Farm Goat Cheese (5 stars)
Ingredients
Crust:
1 3/4 cups chocolate graham cracker crumbs
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 stick melted salted butter
Filling:
24-ounces of Night Sky Farm chevre, at room temperature
1 (15-ounce) can pureed pumpkin
3 eggs plus 1 egg yolk
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
For crust:
In medium bowl, combine crumbs, sugar and cinnamon. Add melted butter. Press down flat into a 9-inch springform pan. Set aside.
For filling:
Beat chevre until smooth. Add pumpkin puree, eggs, egg yolk, sugar and the spices. Add flour and vanilla. Beat together until well combined.
Pour into crust. Spread out evenly and place oven for 1 hour. Remove from the oven and let sit for 15 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours.
SAVORY GREENS AND FETA PIE from Erin Wright, manager of St. Stephen’s Farmer’s Market. (5 Stars)
Ingredients in all caps are available at the Farmers Market at St. Stephen’s.
Great for brunch or supper when you have a ton of greens!
Crust:
1 cup flour
pinch of salt
6 TBS cold butter, cut into pieces
3 TBS ice water
Filling:
1/2 cup HANOVER TOMATO CHUTNEY (optional)
2 Tbs Olive Oil
1 large or 2 small ONIONS, sliced
1 pound mixed GREENS such as kale and collards
3 EGGS, whisked
1 1/2 cups milk
salt and pepper
pinch of nutmeg
NIGHT SKY FETA, drained
Hot Pepper Flakes
Preparing the crust
Mix flour and salt in large bowl. Add butter and mix with your fingers, pinching butter with the flour, trying to coat flour with butter. You can also do this in a food processor, but I get better results with my fingers. When butter is distributed, and your mixture looks like rough cornmeal, add ice water all at once. Stir in the water, and shape the dough into ball, cover with plastic wrap and let the dough rest in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or overnight.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Roll dough into circle large enough to fit in 9 inch pie pan. Place in pan and crimp edges, To keep the crust from bubbling up, cover with it foil, and spread dry beans or ceramic pie weights on the bottom of the crust, and par bake for 10 minutes.
Filling the pie
Spread chutney over bottom of pie crust. Wash and chop greens into 1-inch pieces. Heat olive oil on medium high heat; add greens when onions are translucent. Sauté until greens are bright green and have cooked down. Put mixture in pie plate, spreading out over chutney. Mix eggs and milk with salt, pepper and nutmeg, and pour over greens mixture. Crumble feta on top of mixture, and finish with hot pepper flakes. Cook for 50-60 minutes, or until center is firm.
HERB & GARLIC GOAT CHEESE DIP
Goat cheese and low fat sour cream meld for a perfectly tangy and creamy dip that’s not too calorie-rich compared to most others. Make it ahead for a party or to spread on bagels or sandwiches.
5–6 oz fresh goat cheese
⅔ cup low fat sour cream
3 green onions (white and most of green part), chopped
1 TB chopped fresh parsley
1 TB fresh chopped basil
1 large or 2 small garlic cloves
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Place all ingredients in a blender. Pulse 1–2 minutes until well combined but not completely pureed. Refrigerate several hours or overnight to allow flavors to blend. Adjust salt and pepper to taste before serving. Makes about 1¼ cups.
A NEW RECIPE FOR A FALL SALAD
Early Fall Market Salad from Erin Wright, manager of St. Stephen’s Farmer’s Market.
Ingredients in all caps are available at the Farmers Market at St. Stephen’s.
This is a beautiful main course salad that celebrates the freshness of available ingredients. I ate it for lunch every single day last week!
ARUGULA and other mixed late season GREENS (such as PEA SHOOTS, MUSTARD GREENS and BABY BOK CHOI)
sliced HAKURAIE TURNIPS
Sliced ASIAN PEAR, GALA APPLE or roasted FIGS*
hard boiled EGG**
Night Sky Farm GOAT CHEESE (I used plain, but I think one of the herbed ones would be lovely)
toasted walnuts
Toss all ingredients gently with a simple dressing made of olive oil and grainy mustard mixed to the consistency you prefer. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
*To roast figs, slice fresh figs in half, toss with balsamic vinegar, and roast in 350 degree oven for about 15 minutes. You want them to caramelize and to hold their shape.
**I think I’d only add the egg with the apple or pear, not with the figs.
SCALLOPED POTATOES WITH GOAT CHEESE AND HERBES DE PROVENCE
Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups heavy cream
1- 1/2 cups canned chicken broth
1 cup dry white wine
2/3 cup minced shallots
2 teaspoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon Herbes de Provence
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 (10 1/2 to 11-ounce) log soft fresh goat cheese, crumbled
4 pounds russet potatoes, peeled, thinly slicedDirections:
Preheat oven to 400 degree. Butter 13 by 9 by 2-inch glass baking dish. Mix first 7 ingredients in large pot. Bring to simmer over medium-high heat. Add half of cheese; whisk until smooth. Chill remaining cheese. Transfer potato mixture to prepared dish, spreading evenly. Cover with foil; bake 15 minutes. Uncover and bake until potatoes are very tender and liquid bubbles thickly, about 50 minutes. Dot potatoes with remaining cheese. Bake until cheese softens, about 5 minutes. Let cool 15 minutes before serving.
8 servings
PHYLLO GOAT TRIANGLES WITH SPINACH
Ingredients:
1/3 c olive oil
1 bunch scallions, chopped
2 1/2 lb spinach, washed & dried
1 bunch parsley
1 bunch dill
1/2 lb goat cheese
3 eggs, slightly beaten
salt & pepper to taste
1 lb phyllo pastry
Directions:
To make filling, heat oil and sauti the scallions until soft. Add spinach and cook until wilted, stirring frequently. Pour mixture into colander over bowl and press out juices. Boil down liquid until it measures approx. 2 tbsp. Mix the spinach, spinach liquid, and remaining ingredients until well blended. Cool completely. Taste for seasoning. Follow instructions on phyllo pastry box for making triangles. Best served warm.
Makes approx. 50 small triangles.
SMOKED SALMON, FENNEL AND GOAT CHEESE TOASTS (4 Stars)
Ingredients:
8 ounces soft fresh goat cheese
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
1 tablespoon fennel seeds, finely crushed
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
30 thin slices French-bread baguette
12 ounces thinly sliced smoked salmon
Lemon peel strips (for garnish)
Tarragon sprigs (for garnish)
Directions:
Goat cheese and fennel prove to be the perfect partners for smoked salmon. Pour glasses of Champagne or Sauvignon Blanc.
Preheat oven to 350F. Mix first 5 ingredients in small bowl to blend. Set aside.
Brush oil over both sides of bread. Arrange bread in single layer on large baking sheet. Bake until bread is just crisp, about 5 minutes per side. (Cheese mixture and toasts can be made 2 days ahead. Cover cheese mixture and chill. Cool toasts; store airtight at room temperature.)
Spread cheese mixture over toasts. Top with salmon, trimming to fit. Garnish with lemon peel strips and tarragon sprigs. Arrange on platter and serve.
Makes 10 appetizer servings.
STRAWBERRY GOAT CHEESE TART WITH LAVENDER CITRUS CONFIT
Ingredients:
White Chocolate Lace
4 ounces white chocolate, chopped fineCornmeal Sweet Dough
11/2 cups cornmeal
11/2 cups all-purpose flour
4= ounces cold unsalted butter, cubed
11/2 teaspoons salt
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup cream
8 tablespoons sugar
Goat Cheese Filling
20 ounces soft goat cheese
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
4 eggs
Marinated Strawberries
2 pints strawberries, hulled and sliced
2 teaspoons fresh chopped lavender
fresh ground pepper to taste
1/4 cup sugar
3 ounces vodka
Lavender-Citrus Confit
zest and segments of 6 lemons
zest and segments of 4 oranges
1 cup sugar
11/2 cups water
2 teaspoons fresh chopped lavender
Garnish
confectioners’ sugar for dusting
lavender sprigs
Directions:
Crunchy cornmeal-crumb crust tarts are filled with the bright flavor of goat cheese and topped with marinated strawberries. Lavender adds a hint of Provence to the strawberry marinade and the citrus confit.
Serves 8
To make the white chocolate lace: Line a sheet pan with a silicone sheet or foil. In the top of a double boiler over barely simmering water, melt the chopped chocolate. Remove the chocolate from the heat and let cool slightly. Put the chocolate in a pastry bag fitted with a small plain tip, or in a plastic zip bag; if using the plastic bag, snip a tiny hole in one corner to create a pastry bag. Drizzle chocolate in a zigzag pattern over the silicone sheet or foil. Then come back the other way, crisscrossing the pattern. Let cool completely. Freeze.
To make the dough: Sift all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl or food processor. Using a pastry blender or pulsing the machine add the butter to the mixture a little at a time until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Mix in the cream with your hands. Gather the pastry together into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour. Remove from refrigerator and roll out 1/4-inch-thick on a floured board. Line 4-inch tart pans with the crust but do not stretch or press it in. Freeze the shells for at least 1 hour (the shells may be frozen for up to 8 weeks).
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Place the tart shells on a baking sheet and bake until the edges are golden brown, about 10 minutes. Remove and set aside to cool.
To make the filling: Preheat the oven heat to 350 F. In a food processor or mixer, cream the goat cheese, butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the flour. Beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping the bowl between each addition. Mix just until combined; do not overmix. Spoon the filling into the prebaked tart shells and bake 7 to 10 minutes, until set. Let cool.
To marinate the strawberries: Toss all ingredients together in a nonreactive bowl and let stand for 30 minutes.
To make the confit: Combine the ingredients in a pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook until reduced to a syrup, about 20 minutes. Add the lemon and orange segments and cook 3 minutes; do not break up the segments.
To serve: Place a tart on each plate. Overlap marinated strawberries on the top. Spoon confit around the tart. Sprinkle the rim of the plate with powdered sugar. Add with fresh blackberries and shaved aged goat cheese.
Garnish with broken chunks of White Chocolate Lace and a sprig of lavender.
Night Sky Farm's Artisan Products ~ Farmstead Cheese, Goat Milk Soap, Whimsical Handiworks 