Cranberry Curd Tartlets

Thanksgiving may have come and gone but fresh cranberries aren't just for holiday cranberry sauce. These sweet-tart, juicy berries are grown on vines in bogs that were originally created by glacial deposits, and thrive in the Southeastern part of Massachusetts, which happens to be Amy's home state. Cranberries possess a variety of health benefits, most notably that they are packed with Vitamin C and antioxidants, and are known to assist in urinary and digestive health. Fall is when cranberries are harvested, so fresh cranberries are plentiful now. 

We've made lemon curd before, which you can read about here, and while looking at a beautiful bag of fresh cranberries in the store, Amy wondered if one could make cranberry curd by heating up the cranberries to get the juice out of them. There would be only one way to find out! 

We heated the cranberries with sugar, orange juice and orange zest until the pop-pop-popping of the berries told us they were done. We squeezed the sugary juice into a bowl, and created a curd by adding eggs, egg yolks and butter. After it cooled, we piped it into those little store-bought phyllo mini-cups and baked them for about 10 minutes so they could set. The color was a little strange (Amy likened it to a slightly darker pink than Pepto-Bismol) but otherwise, these were creamy, tangy, sweet and crunchy all at once. The orange flavor was a bit too strong, so next time we would probably add only the orange zest.

Cranberry Curd Tartlets
Makes 30 

1 lb. bag fresh cranberries

1 cup granulated sugar

juice and zest of one large orange

1 stick unsalted butter, softened

2 large eggs

2 egg yolks

2 packages mini-phyllo shells

Place cranberries, sugar, orange juice and orange zest in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Simmer until cranberries pop and soften to let out their juice (about 10 minutes). Press through a sieve into a large bowl. Cut the stick of butter into four pieces and whisk the pieces into the warm cranberry liquid. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs and egg yolks. Slowly add a half-cup of the cranberry liquid into the eggs, whisking quickly to temper the eggs. Then continue to pour the remaining cranberry liquid into the eggs and whisk to combine. Return the mixture to the pot and cook over low heat, constantly stirring, until thick and bubbling, about 10 minutes. Allow to cool completely, then pipe or spoon the curd into the phyllo cups. Bake the tartlets at 350 for 10 minutes to set. 

Go Local Magazine - December 2016 Issue

It's the holidays, and Go Local Magazine's December issue has plenty of features to inspire you to make this year's season your best yet. 

Several of this month's articles focus on unique holiday traditions, including: 

• A woman in Stafford Springs who practices and teaches the art of Japanese Temari 
• The residents of Greenleaf Drive in Hampden, who have made their street a celebration of Christmas since the 1970s 
• Balboni's Bakery, where baking has been a tradition in Agawam for 100 years and counting 
• Silver Bell Farm in Monson, where Holiday cheer abounds with sleigh rides, treats, and visits from Santa.

Amy had a chance to sit and speak to Rabbi James Greene of the Springfield Jewish Community Center about how family, tradition and community intermingle especially well this time of year, and that conversation is the topic of the article "Hannukah in New England."

In addition to all of those great articles, there is a list of "7 Ways to Spread Holiday Cheer," directions on how to make a DIY Snowy Candle-lit Jar, a list of local gift ideas and a holiday recipe round-up that includes A Couple in the Kitchen's "Rum Balls" and "Grapefruit Sparklers."

All of this and so much more can be found in the December 2016 issue of your favorite FREE local magazine, Go Local. Read it online here or pick up your copy at a distributor in your local town.

New England Clam Chowder

We went clamming on a recent trip to Cape Cod. Well not really recent, but don't ask us where the last couple of months went. Stock it up to having very busy teachers' lives. 

Anyhoo...

Amy had never been clamming before, although Chris used to go all the time as a kid. The youngest of seven, Chris spent his summers roaming the beaches of the Cape with his brothers, sisters and cousins, and clamming was a favorite pastime, of course, as it involved mud and tools. He was (is?) that kind of kid.

Of course, it wasn't summer when we went. It was a rainy October Sunday (the picture above is us in Chatham the following afternoon) but we managed to get in about an hour of time with our pail and rake and scored two dozen clams of various sizes, from littlenecks to bordering on what we'd consider a quahog.

We kept them in a cooler overnight then created our own New England-style chowder with them once we were back in our home kitchen. It didn't come out quite as thick as we would have liked, but we were very happy with the flavors, especially how tender and fresh the clams tasted. Next time we might add more flour, or if anyone else has a suggestion on how to thicken it, let us know.

New England Clam Chowder

Ingredients:
2 russet potatoes
2 dozen fresh clams
2 onions
2 bay leaves
10 cloves garlic, peeled
20 peppercorns
small bunch fresh parsley
2 teaspoons celery seed
1 cup water
4 ounces diced pancetta
2 teaspoons fresh thyme
1 shallot, peeled and chopped
1/2 stick butter
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
2 cups half-and-half
kosher salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Worcestershire sauce, to taste

Cook the potatoes:
Peel, dice and boil the potatoes until they are tender. Then strain them into a bowl, reserving the water. 

Steam the clams: 
In a large pot put the clams, 1 unpeeled onion cut in half, the bay leaves, 8 of the garlic cloves, pepper corns, parsley, celery seed and water. Put a lid on the pot and place over medium-high heat. Steam the clams until they are all open, 5-7 minutes. Strain the pot into a large bowl, reserving the liquid. Remove the clams from the shells and chop them. 

Make the soup: 
Peel and chop the other onion and remaining 2 cloves of garlic. Wipe out the pot and return it to the stove over medium heat. Brown the pancetta in the pot. Then add the chopped onion, chopped garlic, chopped shallot, thyme and butter to the pot and cook until the onions are translucent. Then add the cooked potatoes and chopped clams. Stir in the flour at that point, and cook until the flour turns golden. Then add the liquids - 1/2 cup of the reserved potato liquid, the reserved clam broth, and the half-and-half. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and season with salt, pepper and/or a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce, all to taste.

New York Times' Quick Tomato, White Bean and Kale Soup

We signed up for a Fall CSA from Simpaug Farms in Suffield and we've been using up these beautiful fall vegetables right and left.

With our first batch of kale, which also had some lingering summer tomatoes, onion, and parsley along with it, we made this delicious and nutritious soup from the New York Times.

It includes a melange of veggies - onion, carrot, celery and garlic plus the tomatoes (we chopped a few fresh ones instead of the can this recipe calls for), potatoes and of course, kale. Fresh herbs like parsley, thyme and bay add flavor and white beans add heartiness.   

In addition to sprinkling some Parmesan on it when serving, we threw a big piece of Parmesan rind in it while it simmered, which added some saltiness and flavor. This recipe is bookmarked for sure. We even shared some with Simpaug's farmer Keith and he gave it a thumbs up, too.

Happy harvesting!

Go Local Magazine - November 2016 Issue

It's November. The month of Thanksgiving and thanks-giving. This month's issue of Go Local Magazine is out and it's filled with ideas on how to celebrate your friends and neighbors who make the CT/MA line a great place to live. 

This month's features include instructions on how to make your own fall leaf bowl, an article about the festive desserts offered at Armata's Market in Longmeadow, and a story on a local band called Farmhouse. There's a Go Local gift guide, suggestions on where to get the best comfort food in the area, and an article on Cold Creek Brewery in Ellington.

Amy wrote a feature on Chic and Antique, a Suffield shop known for their beautiful farm tables, on which you can serve your harvest meal on stunning Polish pottery from Janelle Imports in Enfield, also included in this month's issue.

And what's a good Thanksgiving dinner without gravy? Our award-winning recipe for Cider-Sage Gravy is this month's Go Eat feature.

There's even more to the November Go Local, so read it here now or get your copy at any one of these Go Local businesses and advertisers!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hot Dog! Family and Friends Roadside Cart Debuts Wednesday November 9!

Perhaps you read my article in the July 2016 Go Local Magazine on Ellington native Nick Glomb and his dream to own a hot dog cart. Well, thanks to many generous donors to his GoFundMe page, and with help from the folks at New England Business Associates, his dream is coming true next week when the Family and Friend Roadside Cart makes its debut at the "Hartford Entrepreneur Hangout" Wednesday November 9 from 5-7 p.m. at the Hog River Brewing Company at 1429 Park Street in Hartford. All are welcome to attend. At this event, he will serve his first hot dog. Nick will be serving foods from local sources, including hot dogs from Bogner's Quality Meats in Manchester, Hosmer Mountain Soda, and chips from Severance Foods in Hartford. His cart was produced by Cart Concepts International in Manchester.

Congratulations, Nick!!! Way to go, and best of luck to you!

Go Local Magazine - October 2016 Issue

The October issue of Go Local Magazine is out! Go Local is a local lifestyle magazine promoting life around the Massachusetts/Connecticut line. The magazine features nearby businesses where you can play, shop and eat, and showcases the citizens who make the region a great place to live. The newest issue is filled with all the things that make this the best time of year, Autumn traditions such as corn mazes, marching bands, fall excursions, and more.  

Of particular interest to our foodie followers might be A Couple in the Kitchen's own recipe for Onyx Moonshine Apple Cake (page 39) and the feature on Foster Hill Farm in Stafford Springs. ACK fans may be interested to know that Amy wrote the article on Sue Muldoon, who is reviving the art of seatweaving in Enfield, CT with her business Redux for You (page 41), and also wrote the article on Ellington High School's Marching Band (page 11), who recently performed at The Big E.

In the October issue are also articles on a special Special Olympics coach in East Longmeadow, stone carving experts from Longmeadow, and a Monson family who is doing cool things with twisted wood. Included in every issue are the Go Local Picks, Local Snapshots, the Local Einstein quiz, and the Final Countdown (this issue's is 7 Places to Watch Football), and as always, so much more.

You can read the current issue online here, or pick up your FREE copy today and Go Local!

Facebook Video Recipes - Like?

So I finally joined Facebook. I gave in and joined the 21st century. And instantly, I was hooked. The connections! The memes! The 30-second video recipes! Like! Like! Like!

Then I tried one of those recipes for the first time. It was this one (Apple Roses), and I decided to make them instead of the usual apple pie I make for Chris's birthday. This picture is one of twelve - the other 11 aren't nearly as pretty. (Insert heavy sigh here).

Mistake #1: Relying solely on the one video. While the ingredients appeared as captions within the video, there were no measurements or actual directions. What can I say? That video made it look REALLY EASY, and I have a lot of experience in the kitchen. I got cocky. 

Mistake #2: Ignoring my intuition. I kept wondering, how are these apple slices, even super thin ones, gonna' roll up so easily inside the pastry without breaking or making holes in the dough? Answer? They aren't. 

Mistake #3: Trying to bake puff pastry at 330F for 30 minutes. More like 375F for 35-40 minutes. Unless you like to eat soggy, slightly raw pastry dough. 

Lessons Learned:

1. Do more research. Poke around the Internet, get clearer directions and/or tips from other people who have tried the recipe.

2. Listen to your inner chef. Soften the apple slices by simmering them in water for a few minutes before trying to bend them without breaking them or the pastry. And definitely turn the oven up, preferably from the beginning of the cook, not 1/2 hour in when you realize they aren't cooking.

3. Get real. It never looks as pretty in real life as it does in the video. And that's OK.

To sum up: There's a lot of great stuff on Facebook. So, yes, I still LIKE! but I shall proceed with more caution in the future. I advise you to do the same.

"Frosty" Peach and Prosciutto Bruschetta

Mystic Cheese Company makes amazing cheese. Chris and I first tried their cheese while talking to company founder and cheesemaker Brian Civitello on a tour of Graywall Farm, a dairy farm in Lebanon, Connecticut. While we went crazy over that cheese, a satiny, buttery, wonderfully meltable concoction known as Melville, Brian was explaining that he makes all of Mystic Cheese's cheese in two "cheese pods," shipping containers that he has set up on the farm. It is a fascinating and innovative idea and if you want to read more about it, this article or Mystic's own website both do a better job than I ever could.

Anyway, we fell in love with their cheese that day and when we found out they recently came out with a new cheese, we bought it as soon as we found it (at the Coventry Farmers' Market). It's called "Frost," and it has the texture of spreadable fudge, it stinks to high heaven, and it is very, very earthy. I could barely eat it straight, so I knew any recipe I used it in needed to be well-balanced.

I thought on it for about a week and then it came to me, just in time for Chris's birthday. The recipe calls for a nice mix of basic ingredients - bread, meat, cheese and fruit - and only takes about 5 or 6 minutes to make. And look how pretty and fancy they are!

"Frosty" Peach and Prosciutto Bruschetta

(makes 12)

Ingredients:

1 medium sized baguette, cut into 1/2-inch slices

1 package Mystic Cheese Co.'s Frost

6 slices prosciutto, torn in half

1 large peach, cut into thin slices

olive oil

balsamic glaze

Place the baguette slices on a cookie sheet and put under a high broiler to toast; remove from broiler when toasted to your liking. Spread each piece with a thin layer of Frost. Place 1/2 a slice of prosciutto on top of the cheese. Grill the peach slices on each side, just long enough to warm through and get grill marks, about 4 minutes total. Set the peach slices on top of the prosciutto. Drizzle the bruschetta with olive oil and balsamic glaze, and serve immediately.  

3 Times Thursday - Autumn Apples

For this week's 3 Times Thursday, enjoy autumn's best gift - apples! Fall in New England means it's time to head to your local orchard and do the "Twist and Pull!" And since it's cooler out, you won't mind turning on the oven to bake ones of these autumn apple favorites. 

3. Square Cider Donuts - Although this one doesn't use apples per se, it does use apple cider, and all the best local orchards will be selling theirs this month and next. Why square? Why not?!?

Makes 24 doughnuts plus 24 doughnut holes

Ingredients:

canola oil for frying

1 egg

1 1/4 cup sugar, divided

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1 cup apple cider
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup flour
2 cups baking mix (we used Bisquick)

Preheat oil in a large pot, skillet or deep fryer to 375 degrees, checking the temperature often using a candy thermometer. Whisk together egg, 1/4 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, nutmeg, cider and vanilla. Using a wooden spoon, stir in flour and baking mix. On floured surface, with floured hands, knead dough several times and roll to 1/2-inch thick.  Cut with a donut or biscuit cutter, and make holes in the center of each. Carefully drop into hot oil. Working in batches of six, cook until golden brown, flip, and cook other side until golden brown. Adjust the heat on the burner as necessary to keep the temperature steady at 375.  Drain on sheets of newspaper or paper towels. Mix together remaining 1 cup of sugar and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon; while doughnuts are still hot, coat in cinnamon-sugar. Eat while still warm!

2. Apple Pie - No apple dessert list would be complete without a recipe for classic apple pie. Or should we say, pie filling, since we cheat and use Pillsbury crust. 

Ingredients:

1 package refrigerated pie crust, or homemade crust
10 apples, variety of your choosing, peeled, cored and diced
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
4 tablespoons apple pie spice
2 teaspoons salt
4 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon milk

Preheat oven to 425. Place one pie crust in an ungreased pie plate and press firmly against the side and bottom of the dish. In a large bowl, toss the diced apples with the lemon juice. In a separate bowl, mix the dry ingredients well. Pour the dry ingredients into the bowl with the apples and mix well so that all the apples are coated. Spoon the filling into the crust-lined pie plate. Cut the butter into pats and place randomly on top of the apple pie filling. Top with the second crust and press the edges together to seal (if using refrigerated pie crust, see package directions for a two-crust pie). Brush the crust with the milk. Cut slits in several places in the top crust and bake for 45 minutes, until apples are tender and the crust is brown. Cool for at least an hour before serving.

1. Onyx Moonshine Apple Cake - We soak our apples in our favorite local moonshine for 24 hours, then use a friend's apple cake recipe to make this boozy confection.

Cake Ingredients:

5 medium apples, peeled and diced (feel free to soak them in Onyx Moonshine for a day or so, if you dare)

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups granulated sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 cup vegetable oil

2 large eggs

Topping: 

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, room temperature

Preheat oven to 350 F. Combine all cake ingredients in a large bowl, and toss to coat apples. Place in a 9X13 pan that has been greased with butter or sprayed with cooking spray. In a separate bowl, combine topping ingredients and pat over top before placing in oven. Bake for 40-45 minutes, until bubbly. If desired, dust with confectioner's sugar before serving.