In-Season Recipes

I love the crossover of the end of summer produce and fall just starting up. So many cozy things to cook with the last goodbye of summer. Here are a few recipes that I think you will enjoy. Corn Vichyssoise Yield: 6 Servings We made this soup as an hors d'oeuvres for a summer farm dinner, and it was a hit. Here, we give you the option to serve it hot. Use a blender if you have one for the ultimate silky texture. 8 ears of corn 3 tablespoons butter 1 leek white, thinly sliced 1 medium potato, peeled and cut into chunks salt and white pepper to taste 1/4 cup, more or less, heavy cream 3 tablespoons finely sliced chives Cut kernels from uncooked corn and set aside. Put cobs in a large saucepan with water to cover, and simmer gently for 30 minutes. Strain, reserving liquid and discarding cobs. In the same saucepan, cook butter and leek together over medium heat for several minutes without allowing leeks to color. Add the potato and corn liquid, and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the corn kernels and cook for 10 minutes longer. Add 3/4 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of white pepper. Scoop out 1/2 cup corn kernels and set aside. Blend soup until silky smooth. Add cream as desired and adjust seasoning. Top with reserved corn kernels and chives. Serve hot or cold. Local ingredients: corn, butter, leeks, potato, cream, chives ———————————————————————————————————- Reverse Seared Steak Yield: 2 Servings My son Cal is a grill master who has perfected the art of the steak – both indoors and on the grill. Here's what he has learned, using the J.Kenji López-Alt reverse searing method. First, start with the best-quality steak you are happy to purchase. Cal loves a Denver steak, a cut from the shoulder, and is a big fan of Wagyu beef, which can be purchased at New England Wagyu in Mason, NH. 1.5 lbs. steak, Denver or ribeye Salt Black pepper 2 tablespoons oil 1 tablespoon butter 1 clove garlic 1 sprig fresh thyme or 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme Start with a great cut of meat. Season generously with salt and pepper. In an ideal scenario, insert a meat probe into your steak (not touching the bone) and bake at 250 degrees or grill at 250 degrees until the internal temperature reaches about 115 degrees for medium rare. Cal likes to let it rest for 5 minutes. At this time, heat your cast-iron skillet over high heat until very hot. Add a small glug of oil to your hot pan and swirl to coat evenly. Then add one tablespoon of butter, one clove of garlic, a sprig of thyme, and immediately add the steak. Put a plate on the steak and press down - you want the entire steak to make contact with the pan. Once it's a beautiful brown, flip and do the same for the other side. Slice and serve. The medium rare steak will now be approximately 130 degrees. Local ingredients: Steak, butter, garlic, thyme ————————————- Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting Yield: 12 Servings Nothing screams fall like the best carrot cake. This is the simplest and most delicious version - no nuts, no pineapple, but a true crowd pleaser. Adults love it, kids love it! 2 cups sifted cake flour 2 teaspoons baking soda 2 teaspoons cinnamon 1 teaspoon salt 4 large eggs 1 ½ cups vegetable oil or melted butter 1 ⅔ cups sugar 3 cups finely grated carrots Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Oil and flour a 9" x13" pan. Whisk together cake flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Beat eggs and oil together until well mixed. Add sugar and mix well. Fold in the flour mixture, then the carrots. Pour into prepared pan. Bake until cake tests dry with a cake tester, about 45 minutes. Let cake cool in pan. Then cover with frosting. Cream Cheese Frosting Yield: About 2 Cups 16 ounces cream cheese, softened 8 ounces butter, softened 1 pound confectioner's sugar, sifted 1 teaspoon vanilla ½ teaspoon salt Beat ingredients together until smooth. Spread over cake in a generous layer. Local ingredients: eggs, carrots, butter, cream cheese