candied kumquats

being so close to florida, we get a lot of fresh citrus throughout the winter.  i love making candied kumquats and snacking on them and using them on a variety of desserts. 

candied kumquats

1 cup water
1 cup raw sugar
1 pint kumquats, thinly sliced
sea salt
cardamon
raw sugar for sprinkling

directions:
-in a large frying pan, boil 1 cup water and add the 1 cup sugar- stir until dissolved, simmer
-add a layer of the thinly sliced kumquats to the simple syrup mixture
-simmer for 5-6 minutes, making sure not to burn
-lightly sprinkle some sea salt and cardamon over the kumquats
-using metal tongs, turn the kumquats and simmer for another 5-6 minutes
-cover a wire rack covered in parchment paper
-remove the kumquats from the heat, one by one and place a single layer on the parchment paper.
-let cool and dry for 1 hour and sprinkle with sugar!

photos and recipe by kristen bach

grandma's christmas toffee

every year we would travel to northern wisconsin and spend the holidays at my grandma b's house.  she always had an array of handmade candy on hand and her toffee was my favorite.

this year i tried to make some adding roasted georgia pecans.   it never tastes as good as when grandma makes it.  

i followed this super easy recipe and it was delicious.  i doubled it and shared it with friends and neighbors.  

holiday recipe ideas!

every year around this time we like to round up some of our favorite recipes that would make great gifts, in case you need some ideas or inspiration for some yummy home-cooked treats...all of these are tried & true and are certified crowd-pleasers...enjoy!

rosemary chocolate chip cookies
dark chocolate truffles
spiced maple pecans
hot-cross buns
rosemary-orange sugar cookies

winter kale salad with pecan dressing

now that the colder days are upon us, i love making hearty kale salads to add a bit of freshness to a meal.  the dressing is made with local georgia pecans, i think it is my new favorite winter condiment! 

winter kale salad

-toast 3/4 cup pecans in the oven for 5 minutes

-in a blender, blend the toasted pecans, 1/2 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup red wine vinegar, 2 Tbsp honey, 2 cloves of garlic, and salt and pepper

-blend until ingredients are chopped, dressing should have a little grit from the pecans

-add more salt if needed   

-wash and cut some fresh kale, removing any tough stems

-add any other seasonal ingredients

-i added pomegranate seeds and carrots

-i think roasted squash or carrots would be great with it too toss all of the ingredients together and massage the kale leaves a bit

-add the salad dressing and lightly toss it

-enjoy!

photos and recipe by kristen bach

herbed feta dip

a couple of years ago i dined at an amazing greek restaurant in ny.  i do not recall the name or even where it was as a taxi just dropped me off and picked me up.  it was a night of eating several little courses and everything was so delicious.  one thing really stood out and i been meaning to make it ever since.  it was an herbed feta dip.... and last night i gave it a try.

herbed feta dip

-crumble 7 or 8 oz of feta

-stir in 2 heaping Tbsp of greek yogurt, 2 cloves of diced garlic, juice of one lemon, 1 Tbsp olive oil, and combine 

-using fresh herbs that you have on hand.... finely dice them (I used chives and parsley) and mix in

-drizzle some olive oil over the top and freshly crack pepper

-serve up with a fresh baguette or crackers

photo and recipe by kristen bach

rustic black eyed pea soup

many days i challenge myself to make a meal entirely from what i have in our kitchen.  this was one of those meals and i will surely make it again.  i think i have made variations of this soup many of times, it's not all that inventive.  i do think what made it so wonderful this time was the homemade vegetable stock.  the flavors were so much warmer!  started this soup in the morning before work and let it cook in the crock pot all day long.  we enjoyed this with some buttered bread from a local bakery....it was a perfect fall night supper.  rustic black eyed pea soup  -saute 2 Tbsp olive oil, 1 diced yellow onion, and 2 sweet peppers from the garden until tender -in the crock pot add 1 cup of dried black eyed peas, rinsed , 4 cups stock, and 2-3 cups water (add more as needed) add the sauted vegetables to the crock pot -add 2 handfuls of finely chopped kale or other greens to the soup photo and recipe by kristen bach

spicy gingersnaps

in college i had a friend that would always bring her spicy ginger snaps to pot lucks and everyone went crazy for them!  every fall i begin to crave them.  there is a bit of a kick from the fresh ginger and cayenne that warms you up.  my daughter and i made a batch yesterday and enjoyed them outside on the lovely crisp fall sunday!

spicy gingersnaps

-pre- heat oven to 375 degrees

-in a mixing bowl, add 1 cup brown sugar, 1/3 cup black strap molasses, 3/4 cup vegetable oil, 1 egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and 1 1/2 TBSP fresh ginger, diced 

-in a separate bowl mix up the dry ingredients:  add 2 1/2 cups unbleached AP flour, 2 teaspoons baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon sea salt,1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves,1/2 teaspoon to 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (depending on how spicy you want them, i prefer 1 teaspoon!)

-slowly add the dry ingredients...bit by bit to the sugar mixture

-when the dough is mixed make 1 teaspoon balls and roll them around in a bowl filled with 1/2 cup turbinado sugar

-place on a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper and bake for 10-12 minutes

-enjoy on a crisp fall day and share them!

photos and recipe by kristen bach

vegetable stock

i woke up to frost this morning.  i think that the weather has officially turned to chilly....no more surprise 80 degree days. 

our dutch oven has been making a daily appearance with all of our soups, stews, and other comfort meals on our menu.  this year i have been making my own stocks with all of the discarded vegetables.  it is so simple and really enhances your home cooked meals.  they also freeze well so you can use them when needed.  

vegetable stock

-save all of the ends and pieces of vegetables that you use throughout the week.  broccoli stalks, tough pieces of your greens, radish tops, carrot ends, etc. 

-in a large dutch oven or large pan, sauté 1 large diced yellow onion, 2 stalks of celery, and 1 diced carrot

-add your vegetables

-cover with water and bring to a boil

-add 1 TBSP salt (adjust to your preference), fresh herbs,  and 2 bay leaves

-simmer for 2 hours

-cool and put in freezer bags if you want to freeze or store in fridge for a week. 

-enjoy!!

photo and recipe by kristen bach

autumn vegetable pie

'tis the season for comfort meals, eating dinner on the porch, and enjoying the brisk evenings.  the other day my family enjoyed this fall pie, hope you do too! 

-pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees

-dice 1 small yellow onion, 3 cloves of garlic, and 1 medium sized butternut squash

-cool the butternut squash layer and mix in 3/4 cup pecans and 5 leaves of sage, finely chopped

-toss vegetables with salt and 1 Tbsp of olive oil

-roast in the oven for about 30 minutes or until fully cooked 

-wash and cut up into small pieces 1 bunch of kale grate 8 ounces of gruyere cheese

-in a medium sized bowl combine cheese, kale and 1/2 tsp salt

assembling the pie...

-using a pastry brush coat the bottom of a 9 x 13 casserole pan with olive oil

-carefully arrange a sheet of phyllo dough and using the brush, apply a coat of olive oil, repeat until you have layered 5 sheets

-carefully spoon a layer of the butternut squash mixture over the phyllo dough layer

-repeat the phyllo dough and olive oil layer (5 sheets of phyllo)

-spoon the Kale mixture over thy phyllo and repeat the phyllo sheet layer

-spoon the remaining butternut squash mixture over the phyllo dough

-put the final layer of phyllo.  you can use whatever is left over.  sprinkle with salt

-bake covered with foil at 350 degrees for 30 minutes

-remove foil and cook until browned, another 10-20 minutes

photo and recipe by kristen bach

napa and kohlrabi kimchi

i have always loved kimchi and i am thrilled to see it popping up on menus around town.  my favorite kimchi dish that i have had is at home.made where chef mimi maumus makes  a kimchi and quinoa bowl topped with an egg and pork belly if you choose.  i can't wait to try to re-create that at home! 

this past week i got a big napa cabbage from our farm along with some other early fall hearty vegetables.  i immediately knew what i wanted to make.  KIMCHI!  i know that kimchi is traditionally made with salted shrimp and fish sauce but i wanted to make one that highlighted the fermented vegetables.  so if you want to add some fish sauce and korean salted shrimp.....go for it!  here we go.

napa and kohlrabi kimchi 

-cut 1 large napa cabbage into 1 inch pieces and put in a large bowl.  coat the cabbage with 1/4 cup sea salt and set aside to let the cabbage sweat for 1 hour

-in a colander rinse the salt off of the cabbage. press all of the water out of the cabbage, use a clean towel to dry as well

-meanwhile, make your kimchi paste.... in  small food processor take 5 Tbsp dried korean red peppers; gochugaru.  this can be found at your local asian market.  a 3 inch piece of ginger; skin removed, 4 cloves of garlic, 2 tsp sea salt, the whites of 6 spring onions, 4 carrots, and 2 Tbsp sugar.  puree these ingredients until combined and a paste is formed.

-peel and slice 2 kohlrabi into mach stick shaped pieces and slice the greens of 6 spring onions into 1/2 inch pieces.

-combine all of the vegetables in the large bowl.

-add the paste and massage it into the vegetables. 

-in 2 quart sized jars, fill with the kimchi mixture leaving 1-2 inches at the top. 

-put jars in a dark cupboard and let rest at room temperature for 3-4 days. 

-check each day and open jars to release the gases. your kimchi will start to bubble, it's ok it's supposed to. 

-store in the refrigerator for up to 6 months.serve on salads, over eggs, add to stir fries but make sure to not cook the kimchi too much or you will destroy the healthy fermented goodness of the kimchi.

photos and recipe by kristen bach

butternut squash + goat cheese baguette

we have a newish bakery in town called the independent.  their baguette reminds me of the ones i would get while living in barcelona and i have dreamed of ever since.  we would get one in the morning and rub a roma tomato on the inside, drizzle some olive oil, salt it, and nibble on it all day long.  with that being said, it is hard for me not to devour an entire independent baguette on my own.  the other day i picked up a fresh baguette and made a family dinner out of it.  i made a fall sandwich that was hearty and so delicious. i will surely be making this one again.  

ingredients  

1 medium sized butternut squash

1 yellow onion

2 cloves garlic

1 1/2 Tbsp

olive oil

salt to taste

arugula

goat cheese

baguette (fresh is best)

directions

-pre-heat oven to 450 degrees

-remove skin and cut the butternut squash into small pieces

-in a roasting pan toss 1 Tbsp olive oil with squash

-roast in oven for 45 minutes or until squash starts to get some color

-while the squash is roasting, dice the onions and remaining 1/2 Tbsp olive oil

-sauté them over medium heat until they start to get some color

-dice the garlic and add to the onions

-add some salt to taste

-when the squash is roasted, add the onion-garlic mixture

-slice the baguette in half like a hotdog bun

-on the bottom half spread with plain goat cheese

-spoon the butternut squash mixture over the goat cheese

-then top with a layer of fall arugula to give it a little spice

-slice the baguette into sandwiches for eatin'

photos and recipe by kristen bach

apple stacks

this weekend we headed up to north georgia for a day of apple picking.  this has become an annual tradition for us that we look forward to every fall.  i have been seeing these recipes for apple pull apart bread and wanted to try my hand at one.  i followed this basic dough recipe and made some modifications to the filling.  my daughter enjoyed helping me out with this one.....and we got to practice some patience with the two risings.  this bread took us almost all day from start to finish but the apples and cinnamon made our house smell like fall- it was worth the wait!

making the dough (the dough recipe is from the blog half baked)

ingredients

1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted

1/3 cup lukewarm milk

1/4 cup lukewarm water

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast   

directions

-whisk together the butter, milk, water, eggs, and vanilla extract.

-in the bowl mixer, mix together the flour, sugar, salt, and yeast, then add the wet ingredients.

-using the dough hook attachment mix and knead, until the dough is smooth. the dough will be quite soft. if it seems too dry add a little water, if it seems too sticky add just a little flour, up to a 1/4 cup.

-place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover, and allow to rest until doubled in size, about 1 hour. 

now for the rest of the recipe with my modifications 

ingredients for filling

4-5 fresh apples, cored and thinly sliced as shown in the picture

3 tbsp cup unsalted butter, browned

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 Tbsp cinnamon

a sprinkle of salt ingredients for glaze

1 cup powdered sugar

1 Tbsp of milk or lemon juice

1 teaspoon vanilla and

a sprinkle of salt

directions for stacks

-on a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out into a large square  about 24 inches by 24 inches.  add more flour if dough begins to stick

-with a pastry brush, brush the browned butter onto the dough

-do the same with the maple syrup

-sprinkle the cinnamon and salt evenly over the entire square

-using a pizza cutter, cut the dough into even squares or rectangles,  3 inch squares work great

-line a cookie sheet with parchment paper

-make the stacks by carefully putting a piece of dough then a slice of apple, and continue so you have DOUGH-APPLE-DOUG-HAPPLE-DOUGH-APPLE-DOUGH

-place in a warm place for an hour or until the dough rises for a second time

-pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

-after rising is complete bake for 20- 30 minutes or until brown

-meanwhile, mix the powdered sugar, milk or lemon juice, vanilla, and salt

-let the stacks cool for 15 minutes before drizzling the glaze over them

-enjoy these sweet fall treats!  

****note, if you want to make a pull apart bread verses the stacks follow the same instructions but stack vertically in a greased bread pan and increase baking time to 40-50 minutes

photos by kristen bach recipe by half baked blog and modified by kristen bach

slow roasted pizza sauce

this weekend marks the end of the season for us at our house.  we pulled out our summer tomatoes, peppers, and basil and replaced them with our fall crops.  we harvested the last of the end of summer, blemished tomatoes and tired basil and slowly roasted a delicious pizza sauce. 

ingredients

8 tomatoes

1 medium sized yellow onion

10 sprigs of thyme

5 cloves garlic, roughly chopped 

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 cup loosly packed fresh basil

salt to taste 

directions

-pre-heat oven to 375 degrees

-finely chop your onion into small pieces and saute for 20 minutes on low heat with half of the olive oil

-meanwhile, core tomatoes and cut them into large, rustic pieces

-in a roasting pan, combine the sauteed onions, tomatoes, thyme (including sprigs), and salt

-toss with the remaining olive oil

-roast uncovered for 1 1/2 hours, checking every 30 minutes or so

-remove sprigs of thyme and add the basil

-return to oven for 1/2 hour

-cool before adding to pizza dough

photos and recipe by kristen bach

lemon tahini eggplant

my husband is no fan of eggplant.  i on the other hand love it and i always try to make that one dish that will make him fall in love with it too.  so.... with a big eggplant from the farm and red bell peppers from our garden i decided to roast some eggplant and toss it with this yummy sauce.  while my husband is still not a big fan of eggplant, he did enjoy this dish.  i thought it was delicious! 

ingredients 

1 large eggplant

1 Tbsp salt

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 small red bell peppers

1/4 cup tahini juice of

1 lemon

4 small cloves of garlic

1/4 cup greek yogurt

salt to taste

directions

-pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees

cube the eggplant, toss with

1 Tbsp salt and set aside in a colander for 20 minutes or until it sweats

-rinse the eggplant and toss with 2 Tbsp olive oil

-roast the eggplant in a roasting pan for 15 or so minutes

-meanwhile, make the sauce

-in a blender, add the tahini, lemon, garlic, greek yogurt, and salt

-blend until smooth

-when the eggplant and peppers are done roasting, toss them with the sauce and serve over a salad or rice

-bon appetite!

photos and recipe by kristen bach

porch lunch

i was going through some photographs and came across these images from a lunch we had with our friends down in devereux, near sparta...the menu was simple and fresh...much of it homegrown. enjoy the simplicity of the pictures and the pretty palette...

photographs by rinne allen