rosemary

Wild Rice with Smoked Turkey, Lingonberries, Wild Onions and Fried Sage

/ Ren

A densely nutritious meal from the Boreal forest, true Northern wild rice is cooked in roasted fowl stock with fresh lingonberries, then tossed with torn pieces of pan-fried smoked turkey, wild onions, fresh sage and rosemary.  Drizzled with hot stock and pan drippings..

Wild Rice with Smoked Turkey, Lingonberries,Wild Onions and Fried Sage

1 wild rice (if the instructions on the package call for less than 1 hour of cooking, it probably isn’t true wild rice)
2-3/4 cups homemade fowl or vegetable stock, boiling
1/2 cup fresh lingonberries, stemmed, rinsed and picked over (substitute cranberries)
1 tablespoon rendered turkey or chicken fat
pinch of sea salt

1 smoked turkey leg, skinned, pulled and torn into bite-size pieces
1/2 cup wild onions (both green and white sections), trimmed and cut into to 1/8-inch thick slices
12 whole, fresh sage leaves, stemmed
1 heaping tablespoon fresh rosemary needles
2 tablespoons rendered turkey or chicken fat
freshly-cracked black pepper

Heat 1 tablespoon rendered turkey or chicken fat in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat.  Add wild rice and stir to coat.  Continue cooking and stirring for 5 minutes until each grain is coated and glossy.

Add 2-1/2 cups boiling stock and berries and stir to separate rice.  Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until just tender, about 1 hour.  Salt to taste.

Heat 1-1/2 tablespoons rendered turkey or chicken fat in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat.  Add turkey and onions and quickly sear.  Add sage and rosemary and cook until herbs are crisp, about 2-3 minutes.

To serve, combine rice and turkey in warm soup bowls.  Stir the reserved stock and pan drippings together and drizzle over the top.  Season with freshly-cracked black pepper.

The species of wild rice most commonly harvested is the annual Zizania palustris.  Native Americans and non-Indians harvest wild rice by canoeing into a stand of plants, and bending the ripe grain heads with wooden sticks called knockers, so as to thresh the seeds into the canoe.

The size of the knockers, as well as other details, are prescribed in state and tribal law.  By Minnesota statute, knockers must be at most 1 inch in diameter, 30 inches long, and one pound in weight.  The plants are not beaten with the knockers but require only a gentle brushing to dislodge the mature grain.  The Ojibwa people call this plant manoomin meaning “good berry”.   Some seeds fall to the muddy bottom and germinate later in the year.

Several Native American cultures, such as the Ojibwa, consider wild rice to be a sacred component in their culture.  The rice is harvested with a canoe: one person vans (or “knocks”) rice into the canoe with two small poles (called “knockers” or “flails”) while the other paddles slowly or uses a push pole.  For these groups, this harvest is an important cultural (and often economic) event. –Wikipedia

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Pan-Seared Elk Medallions with Herb-Infused, Crushed Chipotle Demi-Glace

/ Ren

The elk is one of the largest species of deer in the world and one of the largest mammals in North America. Ranging in forest and forest-edge habitat, elk are ruminants, feeding on grasses, bark, forbs and tree sprouts.  High in protein and low in fat, this animal was wild-harvested deep in the Texas hill country..

Pan-Seared Elk Medallions with Herb-Infused, Crushed Chipotle Demi-Glace

Allow one 5-7oz portion per person, depending on accompaniments

Medallions of wild elk loin, cut about 1 inch-thick
coarse sea salt
freshly-ground black pepper
1 tablespoon of tallow

Season elk medallions on all sides with salt and pepper, wrap loosely in butchers’ paper and refrigerate 4-6 hours or overnight.
Remove from refrigerator, blot dry and allow to stand 30 minutes at room temperature. Pan-sear with a little tallow or grill over a wood fire until just medium-rare, then allow to rest 10 minutes before serving over chipotle demi-glace.

Crushed Chipotle Demi-Glace, Home Version (adapted from Saveur)

1/4 lb. uncured bacon, finely chopped
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
1/4 cup sprouted wheat, spelt or rye flour
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2-1/2 quarts beef or game stock, divided
1/4 cup good sherry (not cooking wine)
10 sprigs fresh parsley
2 bay leaves
2 sprigs fresh thyme
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
4 leaves fresh sage
2 chiles chipotle en adobo, crushed
sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper

Render bacon in a large, heavy skillet over medium-low heat for about 15 minutes. Add onions and carrots and cook until somewhat softened, about 8 minutes. Use a sifter to sprinkle flour over the vegetables and cook another 10 minutes. Add sherry, herbs and 8 cups of stock and simmer uncovered until reduced in volume by three-quarters, about 2-1/2 to 3 hours.

Strain sauce, discarding solids. Return to pan with chiles chipotle en adobo and remaining stock and simmer until reduced by half, about 2 hours. Demi-glace may be kept in the refrigerator for up to one week.

This post is part of Real Food Wednesday!

Rosemary, Garlic and Black Pepper-Grilled Lamb Chops

/ Ren

Local, pastured lamb is marinated overnight in olive oil, fresh rosemary, garlic and black pepper, then grilled to medium-rare over a smoky wood fire.  Served with crimini mushroom wild rice and grilled yellow tomatoes..

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Lay lamb chops in a glass dish and cover with fresh rosemary, garlic, black pepper and olive oil.  Cover and refrigerate 24 hours, turning once.  Allow to come to room temperature before grilling over a hot, smoky wood fire until just medium rare.  Transfer to a cutting board and allow to stand 5 minutes before serving (they will continue to cook a little). Lightly oil tomatoes and grill until the first split appears.

To prepare wild rice, soak dried crimini mushrooms in hot chicken or vegetable stock for 30 minutes. Transfer mushrooms to a side dish to drain and use the soaking liquid to cook the rice until just tender, about 45-60 minutes.  Melt butter over medium-high heat until shimmering, then sauté until golden brown. Stir into rice and serve hot.

Wild Blueberry Biscuits with Maple Sugar and Rosemary

/ Ren

A little savory and not too sweet, these simple biscuits make a versatile side any time of day..

 

Wild Blueberry Bisquits

Wild Blueberry Biscuits with Maple Sugar and Rosemary

 

Makes about 10 3-inch biscuits (adapted from a recipe by Diana’s Kitchen)

2 1/4 cups organic, unbleached all-purpose flour, divided
1/4 cup rapadura or raw wildflower honey
1 tablespoon aluminum-free baking powder
1/4 teaspoon aluminum-free baking soda
1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon peel
3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/3 cup cultured butter, softened
1 pastured egg, lightly beaten
3/4 cup fresh buttermilk
3/4 cup organic frozen blueberries

Topping

3 tablespoons cultured butter, melted
3 tablespoons maple sugar
3 tablespoons fresh rosemary needles, chopped

Mix 2 cups of the flour with the rapadura, baking powder, lemon peel, salt, and baking soda in a large bowl. Cut in the butter until the mixture forms pea-sized lumps.

Combine egg and buttermilk, then pour into the flour mixture. Stir just to combine- mixture will be slightly lumpy. Gently fold in still-frozen blueberries.

Sprinkle remaining flour onto the counter-top, then knead the dough by hand until it holds together, about 6 or 7 turns. Pat out the dough to a uniform 1/2 inch thickness, then cut out rounds with an empty can, glass or cutter.

Brush biscuits with melted butter, then sprinkle with maple sugar and rosemary.  Place 2 inches apart on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and bake at 350 degree until golden brown, about 12 minutes.

Serve hot from the oven with cultured butter.

Rosemary and Garlic Roast Leg of Lamb with Minted English Peas

/ Ren

Local pastured leg of lamb is coated with fresh rosemary, garlic, coarse salt and cracked pepper then slow-roasted and served au jus with fresh peas, spearmint and fried shallots..

Rosemary and Garlic Roast Leg of Lamb with Minted English Peas

Rinse leg of lamb and pat dry.  Remove the fell (a thin membrane covering the fat) if present, then coat with extra virgin olive oil and liberal amounts of fresh rosemary, garlic, sea salt and cracked black pepper.

Chop enough equal parts celery, white onion and carrots (mirepoix) to cover the bottom of a cast iron skillet to a depth of 1/2 inch.  Pour in 1 cup of Cabernet Sauvignon then set the lamb on top.  Roast uncovered in a 325 degree oven until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest section reads 125-130 degrees, about 75 minutes depending on size.  Transfer lamb to a cutting board, cover loosely and allow to rest 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, add 2 cups cold filtered water to the roasting pan and stir to scrape up the brown bits.  Place over medium heat and cook until reduced by half.  Strain into a clean pan and adjust flavor with salt and pepper.  Keep warm.

Blanch fresh English peas in 1/4 inch of filtered water for 2-3 minutes, then immediately transfer to a bowl of ice water.  Heat butter in a heavy skillet and add a thinly sliced whole shallot. Fry until golden, then add minced lemon peel and cook 30 seconds.  Add drained peas and lots of chopped fresh mint and heat through.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

To serve, spoon peas onto a serving plate and arrange 1/2 inch-thick sliced of lamb over the top.  Dress with reduced pan juices and serve immediately.

Classic Pot Roast

/ Ren

Slow-cooked grass-fed chuck roast with mushroom pan gravy, fresh herbs and roasted winter vegetables..

Classic Pot Roast with Mushroom Pan Gravy and Roasted Root Vegetables

Classic Pot Roast with Mushroom Pan Gravy and Roasted Root Vegetables

Blot roast dry with paper towels and sprinkle all surfaces with kosher salt.  Wrap loosely and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.

Pre-heat a Dutch oven over medium heat and pre-heat oven to 225 degrees.

Melt 1 tablespoon pastured butter in Dutch oven.  Blot roast dry, wiping off any remaining salt and add to the pot.  Brown 5 minutes per side without moving in between.

Add 1/2 cup Burgundy or other hearty red wine, 1 small yellow onion, chopped, 1 carrot chopped, 2 cloves of garlic, chopped, a few peppercorns and a mixture of fresh herbs such as rosemary, oregano, thyme and sage.

Cover and braise for 1 1/2 hours.  Remove from oven, add 1/2 cup chopped tomatoes, turn the roast, cover and return to oven until fork-tender, about 1 1/2 – 2 hours.

Meanwhile, prepare root vegetables such as carrots, parsnips, leeks and fingerling potatoes.  Dress with melted butter, season liberally with sea salt and freshly-ground pepper and roast alongside the beef for 1 hour.

Remove the beef from the oven and transfer to a cutting board.  Cover loosely with foil and allow to rest.  Meanwhile, turn the oven up to 375 degrees and let the vegetables get well browned.

Meanwhile, strain the liquid from the Dutch oven into a clean pot.  Reduce slightly over medium heat, then thicken by whisking in a bit of roux.  Add sautéed mushrooms and a little demi-glace if you have it.  Adjust seasoning with salt & pepper if needed.

Slice roast against the grain into 1/2 inch slices and arrange on a plate.  Tuck roasted vegetables alongside and ladle mushroom gravy over the beef.  Serve with horseradish on the side if you like.

Rosemary Chicken Liver Skewers

/ Ren

(you might also like this recipe)

Local, pastured chicken livers pan-fried on rosemary skewers with garlic smashed purple potatoes and mushroom & onion gravy..

Rosemary Chicken Liver Skewers

Rosemary Chicken Liver Skewers

For 2 servings

Garlic Smashed Potatoes

3 medium purple potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1 inch pieces
1-2 cloves Chesnok or other strong garlic, minced
1 tablespoon pastured butter
2 tablespoons fresh whole milk
sea salt and cracked pepper

Boil potatoes in salted water until tender. Pour off all but 2 ounces of water and keep hot until 5 minutes before ready to serve.  To finish, pour off any remaining water and stir in butter and garlic.  Mash with a flat-faced potato masher and thin slightly with milk.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Mushroom and Onion Gravy

1 tablespoon pastured butter
1 palm-full pearl onions
1 palm-full large brown mushrooms, quartered
1 oz Armagnac or brandy
4 oz roasted chicken stock
1 1/2 teaspoons roux
sea salt and cracked pepper

Sauté mushrooms and onions in butter in a heavy skillet over medium heat until well browned.  Off-heat, de-glaze the pan with 1 oz Armagnac or brandy.  Return to heat and add chicken stock.  Reduce slightly, then whisk in a little roux to tighten.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Whisk in a knob of cold butter just before serving.

Rosemary Chicken Liver Skewers

12 oz fresh, pastured chicken livers, cleaned, rinsed and patted dry
4 6-inch rosemary skewers
1 tablespoon rendered chicken fat
1 tablespoon pastured butter
sea salt and cracked pepper

Thread 2-3 plump chicken livers onto each of 4 6-inch rosemary skewers.  Set on paper towels and pat dry.  Season with salt and pepper.

Sear livers on all sides in chicken fat and butter in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat until nicely browned and medium-rare to medium doneness.  Add 2 tablespoons chicken stock and allow to sit 2 minutes.

To serve, mound smashed potatoes in the center of a large plate.  Place 2 skewers on top of the potatoes then spoon gravy over the top.  Garnish with bits of herbs and greens.

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This post is part of Real Food Wednesdays


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Rosemary Garlic Lamb Chops with Mint Peas and Wild Rice

/ Ren

Local, pastured lamb loin chops with rosemary garlic demi-glace, fresh peas with fried shallots and mint, and mushroom wild rice.

C’est si bon!

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Rosemary Garlic Lamb Chops with Mint Peas and Wild Rice

lamb loin chops from premiumlamb.com via greenling.com

Marinate lamb chops in olive oil, chopped garlic, fresh rosemary, freshly-ground pepper and a three-fingered pinch of coarse sea salt for 4 or more hours (refrigerated).  Allow to come up to room temperature before cooking.

Rinse and prepare true wild rice according to package directions, about 1 hour.  Add sautéed wild mushrooms, a teaspoon of pastured butter and salt and pepper to taste. Keep warm.

Lightly steam fresh peas until about 2/3 done, then transfer to a skillet with pastured butter and chopped shallots. Fry until browned, then season with chopped fresh mint, parsley and salt and pepper to taste.  Keep warm.

Quickly sear lamb chops in a very hot skillet with butter and a little of the marinade until well browned but still rare.  Transfer to a side plate.

De-glaze the pan with burgundy then scrape up all the brown bits with the side of a wooden spoon.  Add a little brown stock, reduce and finish with demi-glace and fresh rosemary.

Set the rare lamb chops in the pan with the demi-glace until warmed through, about 2-3 minutes.

To serve, heap wild rice in the center of a dinner plate and arrange lamb chops around the perimeter.  Spoon demi-glace over the top, then spoon peas in between the chops and garnish with additional mint and parsley.

This post is part of Food Renegade’s Fight Back Fridays

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Black Pepper and Rosemary Sweet Potato Crisps

/ Ren

Move over, junk food.. these healthy, real-food crisps taste great!

Black Pepper and Rosemary Sweet Potato Crisps

Black Pepper and Rosemary Sweet Potato Crisps

Fresh sweet potatoes or garnet yams, peeled, rinsed and patted dry
Fresh rosemary, minced
Cracked black pepper
Sea salt
Olive oil for misting

Don’t like rosemary or want something different?  Try homemade smoked chili powder!

Peel and slice sweet potatoes or garnet yams into 1/16 inch rounds.  Rinse briefly in cold filtered water and pat dry.

Arrange rounds on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and lightly mist with virgin (not extra virgin) olive oil (an oil atomizer works best for this) and bake at 320 degrees for 20 minutes.

Remove tray from oven, flip the potatoes over and lightly mist with oil once again.  Sprinkle with sea salt, black pepper and rosemary and bake for another 10 minutes, or until the edges just barely begin to brown.

The chips will crisp as they cool.

Serve with homemade fermented ketchup.

Sunday Chicken

/ Ren

You might also like this recipe for Zuni Roast Chicken with Bread Salad

Roast chicken and vegetables is a densely nutritional, healing meal. Here’s a really tasty all-in-one-pan recipe using olive oil, lemon and fresh herbs..

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Herb Roasted Chicken with Root Vegetables

Partially peel and par-boil a few potatoes in salted water.  Drain, bash and set aside.

Wash a fresh, pastured chicken inside and out with plenty of kosher salt and cold, filtered water. Pat dry.

Stuff the cavity of the bird with fresh rosemary, sage and thyme and set in a large heavy skillet.

Surround the bird with potatoes and coarsely chopped garlic, leeks, purple carrots, beets or whatever root vegetables you have on hand.

Cut a lemon in half and squeeze the juice over the contents of the pan.  Add fresh herbs and drizzle everything with olive oil and season with sea salt and cracked pepper.

Roast at 400 degrees until juices run clear, about 1 hour.  Allow to rest 10 minutes before carving and serving with pan juices.

Save the bones for soup stock.

Herb & Nut Roasted Pork Tenderloin w/Bourbon Cream

/ Ren

Served with maple butter glazed sweet potatoes and sautéed haricots verts with shiitake mushrooms..

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Trimmed pork tenderloin dredged in seasoned flour, dipped in egg wash with a little sweet sorghum syrup and cider vinegar then rolled in chopped pecans, walnuts, pistachios, almonds and fresh sage, rosemary and thyme.

Sorghum cooking at Sandhill Farm

Seal tightly, pressing nuts into the pork. Refrigerate at least 2 hours.

To cook, unwrap pork and place in a 350 degree oven until internal temperature reaches 150 degrees (mine took about 25 minutes).  Transfer meat to cutting board and allow to rest for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, deglaze the skillet with a little bourbon then add some stock and quickly reduce in volume by half.  Add heavy cream and continue to reduce until thickened, about 5 minutes.  Whisk in a spoonful of coarse mustard and finish with a knob of whole butter.

Arrange sliced pork tenderloin on a platter and dress with the bourbon sauce.

Rating  ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

Chicken & Biscuits

/ Ren

A one-skillet dinner, adapted from a recipe at the always-tasty What Geeks Eat

Fresh rosemary, sage and thyme, celery, onion, potato, carrots, milk, baking powder, S&P, roasted chicken stock concentrate, all-purpose flour, white wine, butter and bone-in chicken thighs.

Prep the vegetables.  Cook the potatoes to about half done in a little olive oil and butter.  Add the rest of the vegetables and continue to cook until colored but slightly underdone (the flavor of root vegetables is enhanced by browning).  Set the vegetables aside.

Add a little more butter & olive oil to the pan and brown the chicken well on all sides.  Continue to cook the chicken until slightly underdone.  Set the chicken aside.

Deglaze the pan with white wine, scraping up all the brown bits with a wooden spoon. Add herbs, liquid chicken stock and a spoonful of the concentrate to pan and reduce over high heat until reduced by half.  Sauce should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Add the chicken and vegetables back to the pan and simmer over low heat while preparing the biscuits.

Make a basic biscuit dough from flour, salt, baking powder, milk and cold butter.  Roll the dough into a cylinder then cut into 1 inch thick biscuits.  Place biscuits on top of chicken then put the skillet into a 400 degree oven until the chicken is cooked through and the biscuits are golden brown, about 15-20 minutes.

Serve 2 thighs and biscuits per adult.

Rating  ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

Kickas* Burger

/ Ren

Ever go to that fancy restaurant and have one of those $12 burgers, only to go home dissatisfied?  Well, I have.  Lets see what we can do at home for less than 1/2 the cost.

Pretty hard to make a great burger from anything less than a great steak.  This is a dry-aged top sirloin, about 7oz. That’s a wedge of Lancashire Blacksticks Blue cheese, tomato on-the-vine, red onion, Yukon gold potatoes, fresh rosemary, sweet corn, a wheat Kaiser roll, some of the peppers that we put up last week, thyme, pepper, sea salt and worcestershire without anchovies.

Grind the well-chilled meat and add thyme, pepper, sea salt and a little worcestershire. Form the burger and set aside.

Get the potatoes going with rosemary and garlic. Add the corn and peppers, season with chile powder and cilantro.  Meanwhile, check you burger for your desired degree of doneness.  Assemble, plate and feast.

Rating  ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦