Recipes

Roasted Sausages and Peppers with Concord Grape & Rosemary Focaccia

1 pkg sweet Italian sausages
2 large yellow onions
1 each large red & yellow bell peppers
olive oil
salt & pepper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375*F. Thinly slice peppers and onions. Place peppers & onions in baking pan, drizzle with olive oil, & season with a few liberal pinches salt and pepper. Nestle sausages in the veggies. Roast 30-40 min, or until sausages are nicely browned & a little crusty. Sausage is fully cooked when pricked with fork and juices run clear . The veggies will be carmelized, sweet and creamy.

pizza dough, or favorite focaccia recipe
2 to 3 cups Concord grapes, halved & seeded
2 to 3 Tbsp fresh rosemary needles, chopped
2 tsp coarse turbinado sugar
1tsp coarse sea salt
olive oil

Directions:
Preheat oven, with a baking stone in oven, to 450* F.
Half & seed approximately 2 - 3 cups of Concord grapes. Spread out your dough on parchment paper or a pizza peel. Sprinkle with grapes, rosemary, salt, and sugar. Add a bit more salt and freshly cracked pepper. Sometimes garlic. Slide the dough from the parchment paper or pizza peel onto the pre-heated baking stone. Drizzle with olive oil. Bake approximately 15 minutes. If you are using your own dough recipe, adjust baking temperature and time accordingly.

Concord Grape Pie

1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie
5 cups Concord grapes
1 1/4 cups white sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 pinch salt
3/4 teaspoon lemon juice
1 1/2 tablespoons butter

Directions
1. Wash grapes, and remove the skins. Save the skins. Place grape pulp in a large saucepan; mash a few at the bottom to release their juice. Cook over medium low heat until grapes come to a full boil. Remove pulp from heat, and press through a food mill to remove seeds. Combine pulp and skins in a large bowl. Stir in lemon juice.

2. In a separate bowl, mix sugar, flour, and salt. Stir into grape mixture. Pour filling into pastry crust, and dot with butter or margarine. Cover with second pastry shell. Flute edges, and cut little slits in the top crust for steam to escape.

3. Bake at 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) for 45 to 50 minutes, or until crust is brown and juice begins to bubble through slits in top crust. Cool.

Concord Grape Jam

5 lb Concord grapes, stemmed
5 cups sugar
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Special equipment: 7 (1/2-pt) canning jars with lids and screw bands; a boiling-water canner or an 8- to 10-qt deep pot; an instant-read thermometer; a food mill fitted with fine disk

Directions
1. Chill 2 small plates (for testing jam).

2. Slip skins from grapes and purée skins with 1 cup sugar in a food processor, then transfer to a 4- to 6-quart wide heavy pot. Stir in lemon juice, peeled grapes, and remaining 4 cups sugar and boil over moderate heat, stirring frequently and skimming foam, until pulp is broken down, about 20 minutes. Force jam through food mill set over a large bowl. Discard remaining solids. Return jam to pot and cook at a slow boil, skimming foam occasionally and stirring frequently as mixture thickens to prevent scorching, 35 minutes, then test for doneness.

3.To test jam, remove from heat, then drop a teaspoonful on a chilled plate and chill 1 minute. Tilt plate: Jam should remain in a mound and not run. If jam runs, continue cooking at a slow boil, testing every 5 minutes, until done, up to 25 minutes more.

Seal, process, and store jars:
Drain jars upside down on a clean kitchen towel 1 minute, then invert. Ladle jam into jars, leaving 1/4 inch of space at top. Wipe off rims of filled jars with a clean damp kitchen towel, then top with lids and firmly screw on screw bands. Put sealed jars on rack in canner or pot and add enough water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil, covered, then boil 10 minutes. With tongs, transfer jars to a towel-lined surface to cool.
Jars will seal; if you hear a ping, it signals that vacuum formed at the top of cooling preserves has made lid concave. Remember that you may or may not be around to hear that ping (some jars make the sound after you remove them from water, and others in same batch may take a few hours); the important thing is for jars to eventually have concave lids. Preserves will thicken as they cool.
After jars have cooled 12 to 24 hours, press center of each lid to check that it's concave, then remove screw band and try to lift off lid with your fingertips. If you can't, lid has a good seal. Replace screw band. Put any jars that haven't sealed properly in the refrigerator and use them first.

Sour Cream Gooseberry Pie

1 1/4 cups fresh gooseberries
1 cup white sugar
1 recipe pastry for double-crust pie
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 pinch salt
1 cup sour cream
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a medium bowl, gently stir together the gooseberries and sugar. Let stand for 15 minutes. Press one of the pie crusts into the bottom and up the sides of a 9 inch pie plate.
2. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour and salt. Mix in the sour cream, eggs and vanilla. Add the gooseberry and sugar mixture, and stir to coat evenly. Spoon into the pie crust, and place the second crust over the top. Crimp the edges to seal, and cut some decorative slits in the top to vent steam.
3. Bake for 55 minutes in the preheated oven. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until serving.

Fresh Summer Berry Tart with Red Currant Glaze

6 tablespoon(s) Unsalted Butter
2 cup(s) Chocolate Wafer Cookies, finely crushed
1/4 cup(s) Honey
1 tablespoon(s) Honey
2 cup(s) Whole Milk
1  Vanilla Bean, split and scraped
3 strip(s) (1/2-inch-wide) Orange Zest
5 large Egg Yolks
3 tablespoon(s) Sugar
2 tablespoon(s) All-Purpose Flour
2 tablespoon(s) Cornstarch
1/4 cup(s) Whipped Cream
3/4 cup(s) Red Currants
2 1/2 cup(s) Blueberries
3/4 cup(s) Currant Jelly

Directions:
1. Make the crust: Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Melt 5 tablespoons of butter and toss with the crushed cookies and 1 tablespoon honey. Press into a 9- by 9- inch square tart pan. Bake until firm -- 12 to 15 minutes -- and cool completely.

2. Make the filling: Fill a large bowl halfway with ice water and place a slightly smaller bowl on top. Set aside. Heat the milk, vanilla bean and seeds, and the orange zest in a large saucepan just to a boil. Remove from the heat and let steep for 20 minutes. Whisk the egg yolks, 1/4 cup honey, and sugar together in a large bowl until thick and pale yellow. Sift the flour and cornstarch over the egg mixture and whisk until smooth. Reheat the milk just to a boil, and whisk a few tablespoons at a time into the egg mixture. Transfer back to the saucepan and cook, whisking constantly, over medium heat until the mixture begins to bubble and thickens -- about 3 more minutes. Strain into the clean bowl of the ice bath. Dot with remaining 1 tablespoon of butter. Cover with plastic wrap directly onto the surface. Cool completely.

3. Assemble the tart: Fold the whipped cream into the filling. Spread filling into the cookie shell and top with the currants and berries. Heat the jelly and 1 tablespoon water. Dab over the fruit. Chill for about 30 minutes.

Bread and Butter Pudding with Fresh Currants and Raspberries

1 loaf(s) (12 ounce) Challah Bread, cut into 3/4-inch slices and dried overnight
1/3 cup(s) Unsalted Butter, softened
3/4 cup(s) Fresh Red Currants
3/4 cup(s) Fresh Raspberries
3 large Eggs
2 large Egg Yolks
3/4 cup(s) Sugar
1 tablespoon(s) Sugar
1/4 teaspoon(s) Salt
1 1/2 teaspoon(s) Vanilla Extract
1 cup(s) Whole Milk
1 1/4 cup(s) Heavy Cream

Directions
1. Heat the oven to 325° F. Brush each slice of bread on both sides with the softened butter and cut each piece in half. Arrange the bread in a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate, overlapping the slices in concentric circles to resemble a flower design.
2. Tuck 1/2 cup each of currants and raspberries between the bread slices. Whisk the eggs, yolks, 3/4 cup sugar, salt, vanilla, milk, and heavy cream together and pour over the bread.
3. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup each of currants and raspberries on top, cover with 2 layers of aluminum foil, and seal around the rim. Press gently to help the bread absorb the liquid. Let sit for 30 minutes.
4. Bake for 40 minutes, remove the foil, sprinkle the pudding with the remaining 1 tablespoon sugar, and increase the oven temperature to 350° F. Bake until the pudding is set and the top is golden brown -- 25 more minutes.
5. Cool on a wire rack.

Gingered Gooseberry Fool

1 pint(s) Fresh Gooseberries, stemmed and rinsed
5 tablespoon(s) Sugar
1/3 cup(s) Ginger Liqueur
1 cup(s) Heavy Cream, chilled
1 teaspoon(s) Pure Vanilla Extract
1 teaspoon(s) Orange Zest
1 tablespoon(s) (about 16 leaves) Finely Chopped Mint

Directions
1. Macerate the gooseberries: Place gooseberries and 2 tablespoons sugar in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Lightly mash the gooseberries, using the back of a wooden spoon, until berries are broken and liquid is released. Stir in the ginger liqueur and let the mixture sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
2. Assemble the fool: Place the cream, remaining sugar, vanilla, and zest in a large bowl and, using an electric mixer set on medium high or a wire whisk, beat the mixture until soft peaks form. Stir the mint into the gooseberry mixture and fold 1/2 of the mixture into the whipped cream. Alternately layer the gooseberry mixture and the whipped cream among four parfait glasses and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.

Black Raspberry Muffins

3/4 stick (6 Tablespoons) unsalted butter
1/3 cup whole milk
1 large egg
1 egg yolk
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups black raspberries

Directions:
Put a rack in the upper third of oven and preheat to 375 degrees F.  Generously butter or spray muffin cups.  This recipe makes 12 standard muffins.  If using paper cupcake liners, you don't have to grease the muffin pan.  
Melt butter in a small saucepan over moderately low heat; remove from heat. Whisk in milk, egg, yolk, and vanilla until well combined.
Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Add milk mixture and stir until just combined. Gently but thoroughly fold in the berries.  
Divide the batter among muffin cups and spread evenly. Sprinkle generously with turbinado sugar. Bake until golden and crisp and a wooden pick or skewer inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, 18-20 minutes Cool in pan of a rack for 15 minutes, then run a knife around edges of muffin tops and carefully remove from cups. Serve hot, warm or at room temperature. 

Black Raspberry Coffee Cake

FOR THE TOPPING:
1/2 packed cup light brown sugar
2 tbsp. flour
1 tbsp. butter
1/2 oz. semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

FOR THE CAKE:
1 cup flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/3 cup buttermilk
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/3 cup butter, melted and cooled
1 1/4 cups fresh black raspberries

Directions:
1. For the topping, in a bowl, combine brown sugar, flour, and butter. Using your hands, mix thoroughly, then add chocolate. Mix well with a wooden spoon and set aside.
2. For the cake, preheat oven to 375°. Sift flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together into a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together buttermilk, egg, vanilla, and melted butter. Add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture and mix with a wooden spoon.
3. Pour batter into a lightly greased 8'' round springform cake pan. Sprinkle raspberries over cake, then cover with topping. Bake until well-browned, 40–45 minutes. Serve warm.