Wild Honey & Sage Glazed Chestnuts

•1 lb fresh unshelled chestnuts

•2 sprigs sage

•Butter

•Wild honey

•Salt

•Cut an “X” on the flat side of each nut. This keep the nuts from exploding as they roast by giving steam way to escape.

•Place the scored nuts in a heavy cast iron pan or other ovenproof pan that you can also use on the stovetop. Add butter sufficient to coat the pan when melted.

•Put the pan in a 400-degree F oven and let stand for 7 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven and peel off the shells with a small knife while the nuts are still warm.

•Place a skillet on medium heat and melt 3 Tbs butter. When melted, add sage and fry lightly, 1-2 minutes. Add peeled chestnuts and enough honey to lightly coat the nuts. Cook together until caramelized and golden brown. Serve immediately. --Recipe courtesy of Beth Maxey

Winter Salad with Cranberries & Toasted Hazelnuts

•1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

•1/4 cup rice wine vinegar

•1/2 cup light olive oil

•1/2 cup canola oil

•1 Tbs water

•2 Tbs honey

•2 Tbs whole cranberry sauce (or Cranberry Quince

sauce, see other side for recipe)

•1 Tbs stone ground mustard

•Salt & Pepper

• Shelled hazelnuts

•Combine first nine ingredients in screw-top jar and shake vigorously. Taste and adjust seasonings.

•Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Place shelled hazelnuts on a baking sheet and place in oven, shaking every 5 minutes until golden brown. Sprinkle with salt and sugar.

•Toss a hardy winter lettuce with dressing and sprinkle with toasted hazelnuts.

•Top with fresh pepper and enjoy. --Recipe courtesy of Beth Maxey

Braised Leeks

•3-4 leeks

•Olive Oil

•Butter

•Thyme, fresh or dried

•Sea Salt

•Dry White Wine or Vegetable or Fish Stock

Cream (Optional)

•Remove root and cut leeks in half length-wise. Trim withered green leaves and wash thoroughly, slightly pulling apart the leaves to remove the dirt that is lodged in between.

•Many leek recipes call for the removal of the greens. One reason for this is that the higher cellulous content of the leek greens requires longer cook­ing that the whites. Braising over long slow heat makes renders both the greens and the whites tender.

•Place your leeks in an oiled pan with a secure lid and dress in olive oil. Dab with butter and sea salt and fill to half the height of the leeks with wine or broth. Sprinkle with thyme.

•Bring the uncovered pan to a boil on the stovetop. Reduce to very low heat, cover tightly, and simmer for 30-40 minutes, or until tender.

•Taste and season. For a richer dish add fresh cream to the reduced juices. Braised leeks can also be blended and strained for a creamy leek soup --Recipe courtesy of Beth Maxey

Cranberry Quince Sauce

•1 lb quince, cubed

•1 lb fresh cranberries

•4 cups water

•1/2 cup white sugar

•1/2 cup packed brown sugar

•Salt

•Pick through berries in a bowl of clean water, discarding stems and rotten berries. Drain berries.

•Bring water to a boil and add cubed quince. Reduce heat and simmer until quince is tender, approximately 1 hour. Add remain­ing ingredients and bring to a boil. Boil uncovered for 5 minutes or until cranberries burst. Use a slotted spoon to remove any foam that forms.

•Serve hot or cold as you would traditional cranberry sauce. This sauce is also delicious served as an appetizer with a local blue cheese and crackers. --Recipe courtesy of Beth Maxey

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

•1 butternut squash (smaller squash have more flavor; you can use any winter squash in this recipe)

•Vegetable stock, preferably homemade

•Chestunut or other dark honey

•Reserved squash seeds

•Olive or canola oil

•2 Tbs. butter

•Salt

•Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Cut your squash in half long ways and reserve the seeds in a colander. Rub the pieces of squash liberally with oil and place them on a baking sheet in the oven. Oiling the squash creates a barrier to moisture loss during the roasting process. Roast until the flesh turns golden brown and soft, the texture of a baked potato.

•While your squash is roasting, clean the seeds and toss them lightly in olive oil. Spread them one layer thick on a baking sheet and sprinkle with salt. A sprinkle of sugar, curry powder, or paprika is also a nice accent. Place this tray in the oven, shaking vigorously every five minutes until the seeds are evenly toasted.

•Let your roasted squash cool slightly. If the flesh has darkened and bubbled, or formed a slight skin peel it off with a spoon and compost. If you have an emersion blender, scoop the rest of the flesh into a saucepan, if not, into the container of a food-processor or blender. Pulse until smooth, add­ing warmed stock as needed to liquefy the pulp to your preferred consistency.

•Taste the soup. It should be sweet and neutral and deeply orange. Salt significantly and mount with butter. Taste again. Chestnut honey will add a deep richness and should be used in moderation. If your squash warrants it, add honey one teaspoon at a time. Bring your soup back to temperature. Ladle into bowls, top with toasted seeds, and enjoy. Serves 4 to 6. -- Recipe courtesy of Beth Maxey

Roasted Celery Root Tarts with Rosemary and Leek

Tart Filling

1 pound Celery Root (Celeriac) -- cut into medium dice

2 medium Shallots -- sliced thin

2 teaspoons Rosemary -- minced

2 tablespoons Extra virgin olive oil

Salt and Pepper -- to taste

1 Egg

2 tablespoons Butter, Unsalted

1 Leek -- sliced thin, white and light green parts only

1/4 cup Parmesan Reggiano -- curls

Tart Dough (Makes 4 7” tarts)

•2 cups All Purpose Flour

•8 ounces Butter, Unsalted (2 sticks), cold -- cut into 1/2

inch cubes

•1/2 tsp Salt

•6 tbsp Ice Water -- may need a few more tablespoons

•1 Egg -- beat well with a tablespoon of water

Make the dough: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Put the flour, butter and salt into a food processor. Pulse about 30 times. Check the consistency of the dough. You want to see the butter in small pieces (the size of small peas or large grains of rice). When you have reached that consistency, dump the contents into a wide bowl.

Add 6 tablespoons of ice water to the bowl and with one hand, with fingers in a “claw” shape, mix the dough. Squeeze dough in your hands. If it holds together for a moment, before crumbling, it’s ready. If it’s completely dry and does not hold together for a moment, add a tiny bit more water. Mix again with your hand. You do not want to add too much water. Lay out some plastic wrap. Turn the contents out onto the plastic wrap (it’s desirable that it is not in one big ball, but still a bit crumbly) Pull up the sides of the plastic wrap, using it to help form a disc out of the pastry. Cut the disc into 4 quarters. Put each quarter in a piece of plastic wrap and form into rough discs. Chill completely, for at least 15 minutes.

Roll out each quarter so that the dough is 1/8” thin. You will need to dust the counter and the dough with flour to keep it from sticking. Use a 9” plate as a guide and cut a circle around it. Crimp the edges of the tart, poke the bottom all over with the tines of a fork and lay out on a sheet pan. Brush the edges with the egg wash. Chill for 15 minutes. Bake tarts in the middle of the oven for 15-20 minutes until nicely browned. You may want to rotate the pans midway through the cooking, top to bottom, front to back. Lift the tart carefully and make sure the bottom is cooked. It should be light brown. Let cool.

Make the filling and assemble tarts: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss celery root, shallot, rosemary, olive oil and salt and pepper together and lay out on a parchment lined baking sheet. Roast for 20 minutes until the celery root is nice and soft. Puree in a food processor. Add egg and mix well. Spread onto tarts and bake in a 350 degree oven for 5-7 minutes until it sets up. Meanwhile, melt butter in a sauté pan and add leeks. Saute until tender but don’t brown. When tarts are ready, slice each one into 8 pieces. Garnish each one with a small amount of leeks and then a curl of Parmesan.

Recipe Courtesy of Becky Selengut

Cornucopia, www.CornucopiaCuisine.com