Mention My Name in Sheboygan

My folks were born and raised in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. We would attend the annual Bratwurst Day every year where the city would close all the streets and the residents of this fine city would set up their 'fryers' everywhere; smoke filling the sky, the unmistakable aroma of fresh bratwurst wafting through the air.

So, when I was chatting with my friend Mary May at Farmer's Market last week and she mentioned how delicious the brats were from Jake's, I had to give them a try. As an aside, one of the best things to me about seeing neighbors and friends at the market is exchanging food ideas, talking about a new method of preparation, adding to our repertoire.

As a side, I decided on a sweet potato scramble or hash. Again, one-stop shopping - big red onion from Tidey Farms, lovely sweet potatoes from Skibbe Farm and Jake's for your full array of meats. Add store-bought buns and you are all set.

Grilling season is still upon us with this perfect fall weather. Here's my yummy and easy meal.

Bratwurst

I gave the jalapeno brats a try. They are great, just enough spice to make them interesting. Very simply, I boil the brats in beer and onions for about 15 minutes. Then grill.

Sweet Potato Scramble

2 sweet potatoes
2-1/2 T canola oil
3/4 c sliced red onion
Garlic
2 t thyme
1-1/2 t sage
1 t butter
Salt & pepper

Bake potatoes for 45 minutes at 400 degrees. They should be tender but still firm enough to slice. Cool for 20 minutes. Remove the peel from the potatoes. Cut the potatoes in half lengthwise; cut crosswise into slices.

Heat a large non-stick pan over medium heat. Add 1 T of oil to the pan and add onion. Cook until onions are limp. Add garlic, stirring frequently. Remove onion mixture. Add remaining 1-1/2 tablespoons oil to the pan. Add sweet potatoes and cook for 5 minutes until they start to caramelize. Gently stir in onion mixture, thyme, sage and butter. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. (the potatoes were also good left over the next night, warmed in the microwave).

I teamed it with Lake Louise Porter - a Wisconsin beer.

Did someone say tailgate?

Here's the thing about tailgating...do you bring breakfast, brunch or lunch? Whatever it is, it has to be easy and compact to eat. When I found this recipe idea from Midwest Living, I tweaked it a little, added some things and once again was able to buy practically everything at La Grange Farmer's Market. One-stop shopping, fresh food from friendly merchants make your fall outing tasty and unique.

Breakfast/Brunch/Lunch Burritos

6-10 inch flour tortillas
Butter
1 c hash browns (I used already-prepared, but did find a good recipe by Alton Brown)
1/2 c breakfast sausage, bulk pork sausage, diced bacon, or diced cooked ham
2 slices bacon (Jakes's is the best!)
6 eggs
1/3 c milk
1/4 t salt
1/4 t chili powder
1/4 c chopped onion
1/4 c red sweet pepper
Jalapeno peppers, seeded and sliced
Cheese, shredded (queso, pepper jack)
Sour cream
Salsa (I had some spicy cilantro salsa)

Heat tortillas in the microwave for one minute. Set aside.

For filling: In a medium non-stick pan, melt butter. Stir in hash browns. Cook until golden brown on the bottom, carefully turn over to cook until brown and crisp. Stir in meat and bacon. Heat through. Set aside. Keep warm

In a small bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, salt and chili powder. In a large skillet, melt the butter and add onion and red pepper. Cook over medium heat till tender. Pour in egg mixture and cook till mixture sets on the bottom and on the edges.

Gently fold the partially cooked egg mixture so all cooks evenly. Remove immediately.

Divide potato mixture among the tortillas, Top each with egg mixture, chilies, cheese. Serve immediately with a dollop of sour cream and salsa. Or you can keep warm in the oven, wrapped in foil.

Also - you can make these the day before and warm them up in the microwave. Or transport them wrapped in foil. They actually are good at room temperature too.

Peppers - stuffed or roasted?

This week the peppers at Tidey's Farm were irresistible. Green, orange, yellow, purple and so many different varieties. Beautiful, all of them.

Paging through fall recipes, I found a few for Cajun style stuffed peppers. Adapted from allrecipes.com, this was a quick and tasty dinner. We love jambalaya and this was a new twist on a familiar flavor. Teamed with crusty bread and Central Waters Octoberfest beer, it was a flavorful way to kick off October.

Cajun Stuffed Peppers

4 peppers (I chose 2 green and 2 orange)
olive oil
onion
garlic
1/2 t oregano
1/2 T Cayenne pepper
1/2 T paprika
Black pepper
3/4 lb shrimp (I used cooked shrimp)
2 links andouille sausage, diced
1 c long grain rice
2-1/2 c chicken broth
1 8-oz can of tomato sauce
Hot sauce to taste

Preheat oven to 325. Grease a baking dish. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Remove the tops and seeds from peppers. Blanch in boiling water for 3 minutes. Drain on paper towels.

Heat olive oil in a deep skillet over medium heat. Saute onion, add garlic and season with oregano, cayenne pepper, paprika, and black pepper. Stir in rice, cook one minute. Pour in chicken broth and tomato sauce. Cook until most of the liquid is absorbed and add the cooked shrimp and andouille. Continue cooking mixture until it is thick.

Fill peppers with stuffing, bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes.

Honey Crisp and Bartlett, Apples and Pears

Pickings are definitely not slim at Farmer's Market during these early fall days. Bins of apples greet you as you walk past the Skibbe stand; it is difficult to choose which type you want, but fortunately there are signs describing the characteristics of each. Pears at Morlock Farms are big, green and begging to be chosen.

This week I used both Honey Crisp apples and Michigan pears to make two desserts. More a cake person than a pie person, I usually choose to make a cake-type dessert. Also the pie people I know tell me that crust is of utmost importance. I have learned through experience that the Pillsbury refrigerated pie crust is a lot better than mine. I decided to make a galette adapted from Real Simple magazine. The literal translation of galette is broad thin cake. In cooking terms, it is an elegant open-faced pie.

Apple Pear Galette

2 T all purpose flour, plus more for the surface
2 9-inch refrigerated piecrusts
1/4 c plus 2 T apricot preserves
3 Honey Crisp apples, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick
3 Bartlett pears, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick
2 T fresh lemon juice
1 t grated fresh ginger
1/2 t ground cinnamon
3 T plus 1 t granulated sugar
1 large egg, beaten

Heat oven to 350. On a lightly floured surface, place one piecrust on top of the other and roll out the stack to form one 16-inch circle. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet (I used a pizza pan). Spread 1/4 cup of the preserves on the crust leaving a 2-inch border.

In a large bowl, toss the apples, pears, flour, lemon juice, ginger, cinnamon and 3 T of the sugar. Transfer to the crust, leaving the border clear. Fold the edges of the crust over the fruit mixture.

Brush the edge of the crust and sprinkle with the remaining t of sugar. Bake until the crust is golden brown and the fruit is fork tender, about 50-60 minutes.

In a small saucepan, heat the remaining 2 T of preserves and 1 T water over medium heat until liquid, about 2-3 minutes. Brush on the fruit. Serve warm or cold.

And another dessert....

Since I had a few apples and pears, I looked for another recipe and found an apple pear cake. Very simple, you don't even need a mixer. Not only did it smell wonderful in the house, this cake was moist and really really good. This came from food.com.

Apple Pear Cake

1 c white sugar
1 c brown sugar
3 eggs
1 c oil
2 t vanilla
3 c flour
1 t salt
1 t baking soda
2 t cinnamon
4 c raw diced apples and pears (peeled)

Topping

1/2 c brown sugar
1/4 c milk
1/4 lb butter

Mix all cake ingredients by hand in order.
Pour into a greased 9 x 13 pan or springform pan (I used the springform pan).
Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes and remove.

For the topping, mix all ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a slow boil for 3 minutes. Pour over cake and return to oven for 4 minutes.

Oh, you can't decide which dessert you would like? Have both, scoop some vanilla ice cream on the plate and pair your sweets with an apple cider mimosa. (Skibbe apple cider and champagne, half and half with apple slice). Enjoy!

Apple Cider Pulled Pork

Fall appears to be upon us; squash, pumpkins, apples. With cooler weather and stricter schedules, the slow cooker is the ideal way to prepare dinner. For this week, I once again took advantage of what our vendors have on display and decided to make Apple Cider Pulled Pork. It's a simple recipe. The key benefit is putting it together in the morning and forgetting about it until you walk in the door and the smell of dinner welcomes you home.

Apple Cider Pulled Pork

adapted from Midwest Living

Nonstick cooking spray
1 2-3 pound pork shoulder roast
Generous sprinkling of chili powder
Salt and Pepper
2 c apple cider

Sauce

1-1/2 c apple cider
1 c keptchup
2 T chili powder
4 t Worcestshire sauce
1 t garlic powder
1 t dry mustard

Slider buns

Coat the inside of your slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray. Trim visible fat from the pork, sprinkle the meat with chili powder and salt and pepper and brown it in oil. (browning gives it a little color and enhanced taste). Pour cider over pork. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours or high for 4-5 hours.

For the sauce, mix all ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to boiling, uncovered, stirring frequently. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring.

Place pork on a large cutting board or platter. Discard cooking liquid. Shred the pork. Serve on slider buns and drizzle sauce on top.

And what's pulled pork without cole slaw?

I have a friend who posts fabulous recipes on Facebook. I asked her if she wanted to come over to my house and make the things that she posts. She said, "Oh, I don't make anything, I just post them!" So, here is the recipe for Sweet Apple Cranberry Almond Cole Slaw thanks to Kathy Preister's post; recipe by Decatur MacPherson. I used Honey Crisp apples rather than Gala as indicated in the recipe. I'll just give you the link: http://bit.ly/2cGOoi7

It's beautiful and scrumptious!

We paired this meal with Buckledown Porter, a perfect fall meal.

Fire roasted corn salsa

Block parties abound in the village; it seems that many blocks try to eke out the last vestiges of summer by having their annual gathering in September. And if your block is like mine, the east and west sides alternate as to which they will bring: appetizer or dessert.
With this week’s bounty at Farmer’s Market, I decided to make Fire roasted Corn Salsa making full use of the offerings – bold in color and taste, this salsa is spicy, great as an appetizer and also would do well on chicken or pork.

Pictured: salsa peppers, orange pepper, red pepper, red onion and corn.



Fire Roasted Corn Salsa
(adapted from Salsa! Salsa! Salsa! by Crystal Walls)


¼ c butter, melted
1 T chili powder
½ t cayenne pepper
2 c sweet corn, cut from fresh ears
1/3 c red bell and orange pepper (half of each or could use yellow pepper too)
1/3 c red onion
2 salsa peppers, seeded and minced
1 T white wine vinegar
1 t fresh lemon juice
1 t honey

Preheat oven to 425. Combine butter, chili powder and cayenne pepper. Add corn and toss to coat. Spread the corn in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast in oven until lightly browned (about 10 minutes). Remove from oven and allow to cool.
In a medium bowl combine roasted corn, peppers, red onion, vinegar, lemon juice and honey. Serve with chips or with grilled chicken or pork tenderloin.

Introduction to Feast at Farmers Market

For the past several years, a friend and I have walked to Farmer's Market in La Grange. We chat with the farmers, we revel in the beauty of the bounty every week and we try to grace our tables with the offerings that we find. One of the things that I particularly enjoy is talking with the people who grow the food that I eat. There are no preservatives in either the food or the people: what you see is what you get. As the weeks and years go by, we become friends. The recipes are simple, fun and fresh. Enjoy!