Happy News!

Big Announcement: We've got a wee little bun in the oven due to arrive in May!

Warm Roasted Beets with Goat Cheese

We have been growing a few different varieties of beets the last few years. We usually make them boiled but for an event in September we roasted them in the oven for about an hour and served them warm with bits of melting goat cheese.

Ingredients

4-6 Beets

1 block Fresh Goat Cheese

Salt

Pepper

Olive Oil

Clean the beets well and cut the tops and roots off.

Boil the beets whole in a large stock pot of water for 20-30 minutes.

This helps to remove the skins.

Remove from the hot water. Cool.

Gently rub or peel off the skins.

Dice the peeled beets into 1-2 inch cubes.

Toss with Olive Oil, Salt, and Pepper in a large roasting pan.

Roast in a 400 degree oven for 40-55 minutes or until beets are fork tender.

Transfer the hot roasted beets to your serving dish and sprinkle the top with bits of fresh goat cheese.

Enjoy!

Roasted Butternut Squash

This is one of our favorite side dishes! We can eat almost a whole squash! It is very easy and simple and compliments any fall or winter meal!

Ingredients

1 large Butternut Squash

2 Cloves Garlic

1 TBS Sea Salt

2 tsp Pepper

4 TBS Olive Oil

Directions

Peel the entire squash whole with a vegetable peeler. Cut in half. Scoop out the seeds and pulp.

Cut squash long ways into strips then into 1 inch cubes.

Finely chop garlic. Toss the pieces of squash with garlic, olive oil, salt, and pepper.

Roast in the oven at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until squash is fork tender.

Serve hot!

Chocolate Pudding

Ingredients

2 cups whole milk

1/2 cup sugar 

1/3 cup natural cocoa powder 

4 teaspoons cornstarch

3 large egg yolks

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon fine salt

Whipped Cream

3/4 cup whipping cream

1/4 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

Directions

Place 1 1/2 cups of the milk, the sugar, and the cocoa in a large saucepan. Bring to a simmer, over medium-high heat. Remove from the heat.

Meanwhile, whisk the remaining 1/2 cup of the milk, cornstarch, salt, egg yolks, and vanilla in a bowl. Gradually whisk the hot milk into the egg mixture. Return the warmed egg mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium-high heat whisking constantly, until the pudding comes to a full boil. Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer, and continue whisking until thick, for about 2 or 3 minutes.

Pour the pudding into 6 small cups. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight until set.
Just before serving pour the cream into a chilled bowl. Whip the cream with a whisk or a hand held mixer, and continue beating until soft peaks form. Gently fold in sugar and vanilla. Serve each pudding with a dollop of whipped cream on top.

(Adapted from Tyler Florence)

Lasagna

 My dear friend, Mary, had her baby last weekend and I wanted to take a meal or two to her and her family to welcome the little one home! I ended up making 5 lasagnas and froze a few for us to eat later on. These are a great freezer meal and are easy to pop in the oven for dinner.

Ingredients

(for one lasagna)

1 package Lasagna Noodles

1 lb Ground Beef

1/2 lb Ground Sausage

1 large Yellow Onion

1small container Cottage Cheese

1 small container Ricotta Cheese

1 lb Mozzarella Cheese

1 cup finley grated Parmesan Cheese

1 large can Crushed Tomatoes

1 large can Diced Tomatoes

3 tsp Oregano

3-4 cloves Garlic

2 tsp Salt

Directions

Brown beef & sausage in a saute pan until cooked thoroughly.

Drain the meat and use the pan to saute the diced yellow onions.

Combine the meat and sauteed onions

Add both cans of tomatoes, garlic, oregano, and salt.

Bring to a simmer.

(My assembly line for 5 lasagnas)

Add a layer of the tomato/meat mixture to your casserole dish.

Add a layer of noodles over the meat.

Add dollops of cottage cheese and ricotta to the warm noodles and spread it around in an even layer.

Add a layer of mozzarella cheese over the cottage cheese and ricotta cheese.

Add another layer of meat, noodles, cottage & ricotta, and mozzarella.

Top with extra Parmesan cheese.

Bake at 375 degrees for 35-40 minutes.

Serve hot or let it cool and freeze it for up to 3 months.