Roasted Rancho Tomato and Winter Squash Soup with Herbed Crème Fraîche
In Southern California we benefit from a long growing season. In the fall it's not uncommon to still have ripening tomatoes and peppers when winter squash are being harvested. In this soup, roasting intensifies the flavor of late season tomatoes, assorted peppers and velvety kuri squash. Use a food mill when preparing the tomatoes and squash for the soup as it extracts extra goodness from both–it presses the pectin from the tomatoes, and taste-enhancing oils from the skin and seeds of the kuri.
Ingredients
Serves 8-12 people
Extra Virgin olive oil
1 Kuri squash, about 1½ pounds
2 pounds small ripe tomatoes, cut in half
1¾ ounce package Kenter Canyon Farms Marjoram
½ teaspoon medium ground sea salt
2 red or green Anaheim chiles
1 red bell pepper
2 red jalapeño chiles
1½ cups (about) water
Herbed Crème Fraîche
Preparation
Prep: 30 min • Cook: 2 hr • Ready in: 2 hr & 30min
For the squash and tomatoes: Preheat the over to 375°F. Brush a pie pan and a large heavy rimmed baking sheet with olive oil. Place the squash in the pie pan. Arrange the tomatoes, cut side up, on the baking sheet. Drizzle the tomatoes with the olive oil; scatter with the marjoram and sprinkle with the salt. Roast the squash and tomatoes in the oven until the squash is very tender when pierced with a thin sharp knife, and the tomatoes are soft and beginning to turn brown, about 2 hours for the squash and 1 hour for the tomatoes. Cool the squash and tomatoes to room temperature.
Working in batches, pass the tomatoes, then the squash through a food mill into a large bowl, discarding the skins and seeds. (Tomatoes and squash can be prepared one day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
Meanwhile: char chiles and bell pepper over a gas flame or under the broiler until blackened all over. Transfer them to a bowl and cover with plastic, allowing chiles and bell pepper to steam while cooling. Peel, stem and seed the chiles and bell pepper. Transfer the chile mixture to a food processor and purée until smooth.
Combine the tomato mixture and the chile mixture in a heavy, large saucepan. Gradually add enough water to thin to a thick soup consistency. Stir the soup over medium heat until it almost simmers. Season the soup to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with a dollop of Herbed Crème Fraîche. Sprinkle with reserved chives and chervil and serve.
Recipe from the Kenter Canyon Farms test kitchen
Hearty Greens Pie with Raisins and Pine Nuts
Make this pie with a combination of Lacinato Kale and Golden Chard. Slice the greens very finely—the culinary term is “chiffonade.” You can make the pie in a rectangular or round tart pan*. A few lightly dressed salad greens make the perfect accompaniment.
Ingredients
Serves 8-10 people
For the Crust
6 ounces organic unsalted butter, room temperature
2 ounces non-hydrogeonated organic vegetable shortening, room temperature
1¾ cups Roan Mills Sonora wheat flour
½ cup Roan Mills Red Fife wheat flour
1 teaspoon sea salt
4 -5 tablespoons ice water
For the Filling
1 bunch (about 10-ounces) Lacinato kale, ribs removed and very finely sliced, about 4 cups
2 small bunches yellow chard, tough stems discarded, very finely chopped, about 4 cups
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 fennel bulb, trimmed, quartered and very thinly sliced
2 medium-sized leeks, white and pale green parts only, very thinly sliced
6 ounces soft fresh goat cheese, crumbled
½ cup raisins
2 tablespoons pinenuts
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated cinnamon
1 Egg white, beaten to blend
Preparation
Prep: 1 hr • Cook: 1 hr • Ready in: 2 hr
For the crust:
Using a wooden spoon, blend the butter and the shortening until smooth. Add both flours and salt. Using pastry cutter or fingertips, blend flour into butter mixture until mixture resembles coarse meal. Gradually add ice water and stir with a fork until moist clumps form. Gather the dough into a ball. Divide the dough into two even pieces. Form each piece into a 6-inch long log. Wrap dough in plastic and refrigerate 20 minutes. (Dough can be made up to 4 days ahead.)
For the filling:
Combine the kale and chard in a large bowl. Sprinkle with the kosher salt and let stand until wilted, about 1 hour. Working in batches, arrange a layer of greens on a clean dishtowel. Roll-up the greens in the towel and squeeze to remove excess moisture.
Meanwhile: heat the olive oil in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add the fennel and leeks and sauté until tender, about 8 minutes. Add the kale mixture and stir briefly over medium-low heat until the greens are just tender, about 3 minutes. Transfer the filling to a large bowl and let stand until cooled to room temperature. Mix in the goat cheese, raisins and pine nuts and season the filling to taste with salt and pepper.
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Roll one dough log out on a lightly floured surface to an 11x15-inch rectangle. Carefully transfer the dough to an 8 1/2-x12-inch tart pan with 1-inch-high sides and a removeable bottom. Press the dough onto the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Trim dough even to the edge of pan. Spoon filling into the crust and spread evenly.
Roll the second log out to a 9x13-inch rectangle. Transfer the dough to the tart, pressing the dough at the edges to seal. Using a small sharp knife, make several small cuts in the top crust to allow steam to escape. Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Brush the top of the pie with egg white and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Bake until the crust is golden brown, about I hour. Serve the pie warm or at room temperature.
* If making a round tart, form the dough into balls and flatten the balls into disks. Roll the dough out to two 12-inch rounds. Prepare the pie as directed using a 10-inch round tart pan with removable bottom and 1-inch high sides.
Recipe from the Kenter Canyon Farms test kitchen
Moscato Poached Quince Compote with Strained Yogurt
Quince, an old-world fruit, is enjoying a newfound popularity. The aromatic, firm fruit isn’t palatable raw, but cooked it becomes rosy and sweet. Flavor the compote with a whole vanilla bean—you can re-use the vanilla bean, once dried, for making the Vanilla Sugar Cookies that we serve with the compote. If you have extra strained yogurt, you can use it as a spread on bread or as a dip for crudités.
Ingredients
Serves 8-12 people
For the Compote
2 quinces, about 20 ounces, peeled, quartered, cored and sliced into ¼-inch-thick slices
¼ cup sugar
1 vanilla bean
1 bottle (750 ml) Moscato or other dessert wine
Strained Yogurt
Preparation
Prep: 10 min • Cook: 40 min • Ready in: 50 min
Combine quinces, sugar and vanilla bean in a heavy large non-reactive saucepan. Pour in wine. If necessary, add enough water to the saucepan to just cover the quinces. Gently simmer the compote over medium low heat until quince slices are just tender, about 40 minutes. Transfer the compote to a bowl; cover and refrigerate until chilled. (Compote can be prepared up to 1 week ahead.)
Spoon the compote into bowls and top with strained yogurt. Serve with Vanilla Sugar Cookies.
Recipe from the Kenter Canyon Farms test kitchen
Vanilla Sugar Cookies
Use a glass with a star pattern on the bottom to press the cookies before baking–it leaves a pretty imprint.
Ingredients
Makes about 4 dozen
1½ cups sugar
1 vanilla bean, cut into ½ inch pieces
3 cups Roan Mills Sonora wheat flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon kosher salt
8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 tablespoons whole milk
Additional sugar for rolling
Preparation
Prep: 20 min • Cook: 12 min • Ready in: 32 min
Process 1½ cups sugar and vanilla bean in a food processor until vanilla bean is finely ground.
Line heavy large baking sheets with parchment paper. Position racks in upper and lower third of oven and preheat to 375°F. Whisk the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt to blend in a medium bowl. Using an electric mixer beat the butter and vanilla sugar in a large bowl until very soft and creamy. Beat in half of the flour mixture. Mix in the milk and then the remaining flour mixture just until blended. Using a ½ ounce cookie scoop or hands, form dough into 1 inch balls. Roll the balls in sugar. Arrange the balls on prepared sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart. Dip a small glass into sugar and press balls gently but firmly to flatten into a ¼ inch thick round, dipping the glass into sugar as necessary to avoid sticking.
Bake until the cookies are golden at the edges and appear cracked on the top, about 12 minutes. Transfer cookies to rack cool. (Cookies can be made 1 day ahead. Store in an airtight container.)
Recipe from the Kenter Canyon Farms test kitchen