Fall 2023 Recipes and Pairings

We put together a 6 pack from our holiday table to yours – something fun for everyone with recipe pairings for a special holiday meal.

big table rustic pesto aka ‘green sauce’

This pesto features kale but you can experiment with lots of different winter greens. I recommend a mild, smooth extra-virgin olive oil here for a buttery richness that complements the toasted walnuts and balances the fresh garlic. Try this pesto with your favorite pasta, or serve it as an appetizer.

Start with Garlic cloves and 1/4 tsp salt in mortar and pestle. Make into a paste, then start adding kale. Be patient, it takes a good bit to get the greens to release and breakup in the pesto. Then add 1/2 olive oil and the walnuts and smash them up. If you are in a hurry you can use a food processor; process until a finely chopped paste forms. Transfer to a medium bowl, finish with remaining olive oil and lemon and salt to taste. Serve with baguette slices or crackers.

7 cups stemmed and chopped kale leaves
3/4 cup toasted walnuts
1/2 cup mild extra-virgin olive oil, divided
3-4 medium garlic cloves, smashed
1 tsp coarse sea salt
2 tsp fresh lemon juice

Bake baguette slices into toasts in oven brushed with olive oil and salt.

Potato Leek Soup

Brian’s mother was born in Ireland and I believe it’s part of his genetic code to love potatoes. He grows countless varieties and way more than we can usually eat every year.

This recipe is inspired by his Aunt Eveleen’s recipe in her Irish Potato Cookbook. This soup is so simple  but delicious and hearty.

1 lb leeks
1 lb potatoes
3 Tbsp butter
5-6 cups of chicken stock (depending on how thick you like it)
salt and pepper to taste

Chop and soak leeks in cold water to clean - they can really hold the sandy soil so I will often rinse twice. Melt butter add a pinch of salt and sauté leeks until soft. Add potatoes, cover, cook for 10 more min. Add stock, simmer for 30 min (or until potato is cooked). Puree with an immersion blender, finish with salt and pepper to taste.

big table white beans

This is my go-to during harvest. I use this recipe for all my beans...

1 large chopped onion
4 cloves garlic, chopped
½ stick butter or ¼ cup lard
1 cup white beans
1 bunch culinary sage
1 quart chicken stock

Start with chopped onion and garlic in bottom of a pressure cooker with 1/2 stick of butter or 1/4 cup of lard. Deglaze with white wine occasionally, then after onions are clear add white beans. Throw in a tied bunch of sage (bouquet garni style) and add 1 quart of chicken stock. Cover and bring to pressure. Cook 18 minutes for white beans (25 minutes for black beans).

bone marrow

I love bone marrow in the winter, it is best served with toasted baguette slices and green sauce. While a parsley sauce is bright, delicious, and traditional, the green kale pesto from previous recipe is also delicious.

Our cows are 100% grass fed which does make for the most flavorful and vitamin rich marrow, I recommend finding bones from grass fed cows.

Arrange bones on tray, cook at 400° degrees for 20 min and serve right away with toasted bread and green sauce.

brian’s chocolate cookies with sea salt

Chocolate and ponies are two of my favorite things. This is one of Brian’s recipes and it features Jacobsn sea salt, but if you don’t have that one any pretty flake salt will do - kosher salt is fine too. I recommend one of these in your saddle bag or ‘ploughman's lunch box anytime.

cream together

2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2.5 sticks butter (softened)
1 Tbsp vanilla

Then add

1/2 cup coco powder 1 tsp baking soda
2 cups flour

Spoon onto sheet and with fork in warm water put hash on top, sprinkle with salt flake and bake at 350° 8-10 min (depending on how crunchy you’d like them).