Pumpkin French Toast, Green Apples & Red Wine Syrup

Pumpkin French Toast, Green apples & Red Wine Syrup
served with bacon
(serves 2-4)

For the French Toast:
4-6 1/2 inch slices of baguette
1 cup pumpkin puree from can or fresh roasted and mashed
1/2 cup heavy cream
3 eggs
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Whisk all of these ingredients together in a bowl and then pour into a flat dish, so that the bread can be dunked.
Heat a griddle or pan to medium heat.  Add melted butter an allow to melt.  Soak the sliced baguette in the pumpkin, egg and cream mixture for a minute or 2.  Place in the pan carefully.  Allow the bread to be golden brown on one side before flipping over.  Serve with bacon and the red wine syrup and green apples.

For the green apples:
2 tart apples, peeled and sliced, cored
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup orange juice
1/2 cup brown sugar
Place all ingredients into a sauce pan and bring to a boil.  Bring to a simmer and cook until the sauce is syrup like in consistency.  Top the French toast with a  few tablespoons of the apples.

For the red wine syrup:
2 cups red wine
2 cups pancake syrup
Heat in a sauce pan and bring to a boil.  Allow to boil until the bubbles are larger than the beginning boil.   The sauce should boil until it is half of the volume; there should be 2 cups of syrup.

Chef Gregg's Roasted Turkey and Gravy

As most of you know, my husband is also a chef and our life is food!  Gregg works with our children's school garden and teaches the kids to know where food comes from and what to do with it.  Today him and other parents and kids are bundling herbs for this recipe to be sold after school.  The money that is made goes back into the garden!   Gregg aka Chef Gregg makes the "mostest bestest evah" Brined Roasted Turkey and Gravy made from all the roasting liquids and vegetables... Plan on purchasing your turkey this weekend so that way there is enough time for you to brine the turkey and dry the turkey before roasting.  Feel free to add any other seasonings, this is a very simple approach.  Happy Thanksgiving Week! Chef Gregg’s Turkey and Gravy Prepare 2 days before cooking the turkey For the turkey brine: Fresh or thawed 14-16 pound young turkey, rinse, remove the package, and contents in the inside the bird if any. Frozen turkeys take 2-3 days to thaw in refrigeration 1 1/2 pounds kosher salt ½ pound light brown sugar 2 cinnamon sticks ½ teaspoon peppercorns, two or three bay leaf 4 star anise 2 orange halved and squeezed 2 lemons halved and squeezed 2 sprigs of rosemary A couple branches of thyme 6 leaves sage 2 pounds ice 1 gallon of water 1 gallon of ice water Equipment needed: Heavy bottom stock/soup pot 5 gallon bucket, these are sold at home depot, wash, rinse and dry Sheet pan or roasting pan blender In a large heavy bottom stock pot, add all ingredients, except the turkey.   Heat until salt and sugar and dissolved, pull of off heat and add the ice water to help cool the brine mixture. Once the brine mixture is cooled fully submerge the turkey in a 5 gallon bucket and place in a refrigerator of if you live where it is less than 40 degrees it can be left covered in a garage.   Let the magic happen for at least 24 hours. Take out of the brine, pat dry and place on a sheet tray or the roasting pan for another 24 hours uncovered in 40 degree refrigeration. For the turkey: 2 onions peeled- chopped 3 carrots peeled-chopped 6 ribs of celery chopped 10 cloves garlic whole 6 sage leaves Herbs such as 10 twigs of thyme 2 twigs of rosemary ¼ cup of olive oil or melted butter 1 tablespoon kosher salt In a roasting pan or sheet pan place cut up the vegetables in the bottom of the roasting pan. You want a good amount directly under the turkey so they protect the bird from burning on the bottom. Drizzle with the olive oil or use butter or both.  Sprinkle with the kosher salt.  Cook the turkey for 2 1/2 to 3 hours@350 degrees. Finish at 500 degrees crisping the skin and getting desired crispiness, basically if you want a nice color and crispy skin heat the oven and keep an eye on the bird until it is golden brown. The Internal temperature should reach 160 degrees. For the Gravy: Lift turkey onto a cutting board and cover with tin foil and allow the turkey to rest for 15-20 minutes.  This will give you time to make the gravy.  Take the vegetables and drippings from the pan and blend them together until smooth, you may have to remove herb stems before blending. You should not need to thicken with  corn starch or flour, the roasted vegetables will act as the thickening agent.

Celery Root Gratin

Celery Root Gratin

umm. y u m. 

whole celery root, cut off ends then sides, slice thin

Baking dish should be full and topped with the Gruyere

raw, sliced celery root, thin

2 cups heavy cream
2 whole eggs
(whisk the cream and eggs together first)
1 teaspoon salt
4 medium size celery root, cut off both ends and then the sides.  Slice on a slicer or very thin if sliced by hand.
4 ounces shredded Gruyere cheese, good quality
cracked black pepper or chili flakes
Baking dish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Add half of sliced celery root in baking dish and then pour over half of the cream and egg mixture.  Sprinkle with salt and then top with half of the Gruyere.  Add the rest of the celery root, smash down a bit.  Add the remaining cream and egg mixture and then sprinkle with salt and cracked black pepper or chili flakes.  Top with the rest of the cheese.  Cover with plastic wrap and then tin foil.  Place on top of a baking dish, in case it bubbles a bit.  Bake for 30 minutes covered, take of the tin foil and plastic wrap carefully.  Finish baking for another 20-40 minutes or until the celery root is fork tender like a ready potato would be and a pretty golden brown.  Can be made 1 day in advanced, be sure that all celery root is pushed down into the liquid and covered well. The celery root can oxidize(turn a bit brown if not soaked).

Leek, Thyme & Italian Sausage Stuffing

4 leeks, whites only - cleaned and sliced thin

4-5 links of Italian sausage, roast in oven for 20 minutes at 350 or until golden brown. Let cool for 5-10 minutes and then cut in half lengthwise and slice thin. 

2 cups chicken stock or broth

1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
1 teaspoon chili flakes
1 small bunch of thyme, leaves removed- throw away stems.

4 ounces butter 

1 quart(4 cups) of toasted cubes bread
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

In a large pot melt butter and then add leeks- stir occasionally until the leeks are translucent. Add the cut sausage and then the bread. Add the salt, chili flakes, the thyme leaves and chicken stock. Place in baking  dish and place in oven for 20 minutes at 350 degrees or until golden brown. Drizzle the top with extra virgin olive oil and a light sprinkle of kosher salt.  If planning on making ahead and taking out of the refrigerator, cook in the oven for an additional 20 minutes, the first 20 minutes cover with tin foil.

Tart dough

1 quart or 4 cups flour

½ pound butter

1 teaspoon salt

½ cup sugar

¼ cup buttermilk

Pulse together flour, butter, salt and sugar in a mixer, robot coupe.  Add the buttermilk until it comes together into a dough.  Shape into 4 balls and flatten a bit.  Wrap them with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least a ½ hour.

Roll out and cut out circles.  Gently push down into muffin tins that are non- stick or oil them.

For the filling

12 oz cream cheese

4 eggs

3 old bananas

1 cup brown sugar

1.5 cup walnuts

1 cup Whoppers, smashed or any other left over Halloween candy

In a mixer, robot coupe, combine cream cheese, eggs, bananas, and walnuts, and sugar until smooth.  Pour batter into the muffin tins with the dough.  Top with smashed whoppers. Bake for 15 minutes or until light golden brown at 325 degrees.