ManCave Test Kitchen

There are a lot of dead relatives of mine probably rolling over in their graves reading this title.  Then they’re going to read the recipe and get over it!!!  Welcome in the end Summer Harvest.  This stew is chock full of flavor and my favorite summer vegetables. It’s a perfect dish for those cool, rainy summer nights (yes they exsit).  This is a Dr. Prosciutto original that was inspired by what I received from my local farmer this week, and the unusually cool weather we had in my area.  This recipe makes enough for 6:

• 2 lbs diced turkey meat (breast, thigh, whatever)
• 2 tbsp garlic, sliced
• 1 c. leeks, sliced 1/2 inch and rinsed
• 1 c. fennel, slice 1/2 inch thick
• 2 tomatoes, large dice
• 1 c. white wine
• 1 1/2 c. dry white beans, soaked
• 1 qt. chicken stock
• 1 c. zucchini sliced 1/4 inch thick (1/2 moon)
• 1 c. yellow squash sliced 1/4 inch thick (1/2 moon)
• 1 medium yellow or red bell pepper, sliced 1/2 ich thick
• 2 tbsp chopped basil
• 1 tbsp chopped oregano
• Ricotta Cheese (Optional Garnish)

1. Start about 2 tbsp of olive oil in a hevay bottom pot, on medium heat.  Sweat your leeks, garlic and fennel for about 5 minutes.
2. Add the tomatoes and cook for another 5 monutes.
3. Add your wine and let it reduce until almost dry.
4. Add the turkey and let it stem just a bit.  We dont’ want to get color in this because it’s goign to be a white stew (“blanquette” for thoes if you who need proper terms)
5. After abotu 6-7 minutes add your beans and chicken stock.  Now let this simmer for about 60-90 minutes covered.
6. When the turkey and beasn are tender, add your basil and the rest of the vegetables.  Cook for another 8-10 minutes and serve straight from the pot.

Ciabatta, Ciabatta, Ciabatta.  If you couldn’t tell that’s the bread I recommend grilling and serving next to this, with some salted Ricotta, or another soft cheese flavored with some herbs or oil.  Goat cheese and truffle oil comes to mind too, if you want to take this peasant stew high brow.  As always leave me some comments and get creative with those garnishes.

Yet another venison challenge conquered!!!  Once again, my hunter buddies brought in some wonderful deer meat and I happily cooked them another version of chili.  This crock pot wonder is loosely based on Mexican mole and features one of my favorite ingredients, bitter chocolate.   The venison meat we used was mostly from the leg and tail, which has the most flavor.  This recipe a enough for 6 normal people, or 1, maybe 2 of my hunter buddies.

• 2 lbs. venison leg meat, diced
• 1 large onion, large diced
• 3 large pablano peppers, large diced
• 1 14 oz can, diced tomatoes with green chiles
• 3 tbsp. cumin
• 1/4 c. chili powder
• 2 12 oz bottles Stout beer
• 1 c. dry black eyed peas
• 2 tbsp. masa flour
• 4 oz. unweetened chocolate, chopped
• 1 can chiptole peppers, chopped
• 1 bunch cilantro

1. Let’s start by turning on the crock pot and adding the diced tomatoes and beans to the crock pot.  This is gong to start heating up  while we sear our meat.  I like to set mine on high and cover it.
2. Turn a skillet up to high heat, and add about 2 tbsp of olive oil.  Let it smoke, then drop your meat in.  Do this in stages, or else the meat will boil.  When one set of meat is seared, remove it and add the next (with more oil of course)
3. When your meat is browned, add it to the cock pot.  Put then pan back on the stove, add some more oil and start sauteeing your onions and pablanos.  Let these go for about 5 minutes, just enough so sweat them.
4. Add the cumin and chile powder.  Stir these arond and just let them toast.  Deglaze the pan with your beer and let it cook for about 4 more minutes.  Add this to the crock pot.
5. Now add your chipotles to the crock pot.   Let this cook fo 4-6 hours, or until the venson is super tender.
6. Take out some of the liquid ( about 1-2 cups and pour it into a pot on the stove. Add the masa flour with a whisk and cook it for about 5 miutes, or until it’s  thick
7. Add the masa mixture back to the chili.  Now add your chocolate and stir it through evenly.

This is another easy one that just takes some time and a little attention.  I like to serve this with some corn tortillas or even some tortilla chips.  it goes great with corbread and fresh chopped onions too.

You’ve probably seen this recipe in just about every cookbook, magazine, and Martha Stewart anything, am I right?  They’re all the same. just some boiled pureed squash and apples….BLEH!!!!  Show that squash some respect and give that soup some BALLS!!!  What do you get when you boil apples?  Apple sauce…BOOOOOOOORING!!!!!!  Give them some color and let their autumn essence out!!!  Ok , I got a little carried away there…Anyway, this recipe is my spin on the classic recipe you see every year, but mixing in some old school techniques that bring out the best of all of the ingredients. This makes a little over a 2 1/2 quarts.

• 3lbs. Butternut squash (whole or diced form your grocer if they have it pre-cut)
• 1 1/2 lbs.  Honey Crips (or Granny Smith) Apples
• 2 tbsp. fresh grated ginger
• 1 qt. chicken stock
• 1/2 c. rough chopped onion
• 1 c. white wine
• 1 tbsp chopped sage leaves
• 2 tbsp chopped rosemary
• Melted butter for brushing and cooking
• 1/2 c. sour cream or greek yogurt (optional)

1. First thing, turn up that oven to about 450.   Take your squash, split it, scoop the seeds out, then score it like this:
2. If your squash is pre-cut, then just toss it with the sage and some butter or ail and throw it in the oven until it’s soft, about 20-30 minutes.  If it’s whole, cut it in to 3  inch chunks, toss it in the oil and sage, then throw it in the oven for about 40 minutes.  I like to cover the squash the first 10-15 minutes, then uncover it to release the moisture but not allow it to get too dark.  If you like some color on your squash and extra sweetness, go ahead and leave it uncovered.
3. Cut the apples into 2 inch wedges, leaving the seeds out, and get a pan with about 2 tbsp of butter in it nice and hot.  Add the apples and let then caramelize, like this:
4. Add your onions and ginger and let those cook until the onions get translucent.  Add you wine and turn your heat down low.
5. Let this simmer until the wine is reduced by half.  Then add you stock  & let everything cook here until the apples are soft.  Put this off to the side until the squash is done.
6. Let the squash cool, then toss the apples, squash and rosemary into a blender and pulse it a few times before you let it rip for two minutes, or until everything is smooth.  If you need to break this up into a couple batches go ahead, it won’t hurt anything.  Also, if the soup is too thick for you,  just add some stock or water.  Now season, season season.
7. If I’m freezing this soup I stop here.  If not, I’ll add the cream or yogurt, just to finish it out.

I like to garnish this soup withe some bacon lardons (Applewood smoked of course) and some small diced apples just seared in butter.  You can do a couple of little pieces of grilled apple too.  Blue Cheese??? OF COURSE!!!! Now some of you may be saying “Doc, I have a veg-head in the family, what about that?”  No problem, just use vegetable stock or apple juice instead of chicken stock.  Got questions? Leave them in the comments, we’ll get your answers.

Happy Dining,

-The Doctor

The humble carrot.  Often eaten raw, as a snack, or shredded and hidden in some sort of heavily dressed unappetizing “thing” (can’t even call it food).  Sometimes thrown into a soup or stew and pulled out and thrown away when it’s done.  It’s like the red headed stepchild of the vegetable world, just plain under appreciated.  This recipe is here to change that.  This recipe was adapted from a sauce used for softshell crabs at some really famous golf resort I worked at.  (I’ll give you a hint, the Rider Cup is held there).  It was a huge seller everywhere I went and as almost everything i do, extremely versatile.

3 lb. carrots, peeled and rough cut (y’know, just chunks)
1 c. thin sliced onion
3 cloves garlic, peeled
3 tbsp grated ginger
2 qt. chicken stock or vegetable stock
2 tbs sage, chiffonade (so roll up the leaves and slice them really thin)

1. You’ve made enough soups with me that you know what kind of pot we’re starting in right?  Yup.  Heavy bottom pot.  Start the onions and garlic on low heat, in about 2 tbsp of olive oil.  Sweat these out for about 10 minutes.
2. Add your carrots.  Sweat these for about 5 minutes then add your stock.
3. Bring the stock up to a oil and bring the pot down to a simmer.
4. Add your ginger and  keep simmering for about 30 minutes until the carrots are tender
5. Start pulling out the vegetables with a slotted spoon and dropping them into the blender.  Add just enough liquid form the pot to puree the vegetables.  how do you figure that out?  Well you start by puling the blender, adding a little at at time, and when you have enough, let the blender rip for about two minuted.
6. When all of the soup is pureed, add any liquid that hasn’t been put into the blender, into the soup.  Add the sage and let it steep for just a minute before serving.

Now you can’t just eat this on it’s own, it needs a complement.  Any seafood works very well with this.  Shrimp, crab, lobster…it’s all good.  I’ve also some small pieces of fried cod, or even a zeppoli with baccalao if you’re feeling excited (for those of you not from my native part of the country, that’s a savory doughnut with salt cod in it, AWESOME!!!!!!)  The best part about this, is it’s a hot or cold soup.  Serve it either way.  You can even add half a cup of heavy cream if you want some richness.  You got questions?  No problem, leave it in the comments, I’ll get to you.

Happy Eating

-The Doctor

So, you’re at the store, and there’s a giant scallion staring you in the face.  It looks like it could be something you want to eat, but you don’t  know what to do with it.  Well, this isn’t a giant scallion, it’s a leek…and you can’t treat it like scallion, really, but you can make some awesome stuff with it.  This recipe is derived from a recipe from the fabled Tavern Room at the Greenbrier Hotel in White Sulphur Springs, WV.  While I can’t post the actual recipe, because I have been sworn to secrecy,  I can tell you that “The Cream of Five Onion Soup” was on that menu from the day it opened until the day it closed, and is still on some of the menus at the hotel.  While this recipe is more like a French Onion than a cream soup, it’s still very rich and is a great alternative to a heavy cream soup (which mind you, I love, we all do…admit it)  I will give you fair warning,this is NOT a fast recipe, and it takes some attention, but it is well work the effort.  This recipe will give you about a gallon.

• 1 1/2 lbs. Vidalia Onions, sliced thin
• 1 1/2 lbs. Red Onions, sliced thin
• 1 Bunch Leeks, sliced thin, and washed
• 4 cloves Garlic, sliced thin
• 3 cups red wine
• 3 quarts beef or chicken stock
• 2 tbsp chopped Lemon Thyme (Standard thyme is ok too if you can’t get it)
• 1 tbsp butter

1. Start my setting up a heavy pot on a medium high flame.  Get a couple tablespoons of olive Oil hot, them add your butter.  Just let it melt a bit then add some of the onions.  You do want the butter sizzling, and oil smoking just a bit before you add them.  
2. Stir the onions a good bit initially  until you hear the sizzle die down.  You want these to caramelize, but just like meat, if you add them all at once, you’ll just get a watery mess.  Cook these for about 15 minutes, then add some more onions.   Repeat this until all of the onions and leeks are caramelized and cooked way down.  This is the part that’s going to take the most time.
3. Now add your wine and thyme.  Let the wine cook down to a syrup.  Stir the pot every minute or so.
4. Now add your stock and let it reduce by about 1/4 on a low simmer.

I like to serve this with grilled bread and some brie.  You can use anything out of the ordinary though, just because it’s out of the ordinary.  If you like, you can also puree this soup and add some cream to add some serious richness.

Happy Eating

-The Doctor

One of the major crops that’s grown in my area is corn.  (No I’m not in the Mid-West, but I’ll give you a hint, crabs are THE STAPLE where I am).  Not just and old yellow corn either,  but white Silver Queen corn.  When you go to a traditional crab boil, this is what’s cooking next to the potatoes, sausage, and all of the other goodness in the pot.  The downside is that the only thing most people know how to do with this beautiful corn is cook it on the cob. Is that all there is??? NAY I SAY, I SAY NAY!!!!  This corn is very starchy and milky and makes an excellent soup.    This recipe is one of my own, there’ no huge story behind it. I created it for a friend of the blog who is lucky enough to get this my the bushel almost every week from her co-op.   It’s not a heavy chowder, but still very still very rich and satisfying.  This will recipe will make 3 quarts.

• 4 oz ham (any kind you like) small diced
• 2 heads garlic, with just the very top cut off
• 5 ears silver queen corn
• 1 c. white wine
• 1.5 qt chicken stock
• 1/2 small onion, small diced
• 4 ribs celery, small diced
• 2 small red bliss or yukon gold potatoes, small diced
• 3 tbsp , chiffonade (or chopped, doesn’t have to be fancy)
• 1/4 c. sour cream

1. Start by turning you oven up to about 475.  While you’re waiting for your oven to heat up, brush your corn and garlic with oil.  When your oven is hot  enough, place them in a foil lined pan and roast for about 15-20 minutes.  The corn and garlic should look like this: 
2. While the corn and garlic are roasting, grab a heavy pot and  set it to medium heat with some oil.  (olive oil, vegetable oil, whatever)  Start sweating you onions and celery.  When they’re nice and translucent, cut the heat until it’s time to add your corn and garlic.
3. When the garlic and corn are nice and golden brown, take them out of the oven. Let them cool just a bit, then squeeze all of the garlic out of the heads and into the pot.  Take the corn and cut down the cob, removing all of the kernels.  Both the kernels and the cob are going in the soup.  (HUH!?!?!?!, Yes, simmering that corn cob is like simmering a bone, tons of flavor there)
4. Add your wine and potatoes and bring everything up to a simmer.  Let this go until the wine is almost dry., then add your stock and ham.  Bring everything back up to a simmer for 20-25 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.
5. Here’s the fun part.  Reach into the pot with a pair of tongs or something (that’s not you fingers) and remove the cobs.   Take out 1/3 of the soup and drop it until a blender.  Pulse the blender until the soup is smooth, then add the puree back to the soup.
6. To finish the soup, whisk in the sour cram, and add the basil while everything is still hot.

There you go, there’s more to do with corn that eat it off the cob, not that there’s anything wrong with it, but we all need variety here and there, right?  As always, feel free to play with this, you can use different types of hams, replace the ham with sausage, or evern crab or lobster if you’re feeling adventurous.  If you want more corn recipes  let me know in the comments.

Happy Eating

-The Doctor