Tartiflette - Alpine Melted Cheese, Bacon and Potato Gratin
This comfort-food dish is from the Alpine Haute Savoie region of France. I first tried it when visiting a friend who was living on the France-Switzerland border; it was one of those meals you don’t forget. This dish is traditionally made with Reblochon cheese, one that is similar in style to Jasper Hill’s Willoughby.
2 lbs potatoes
1 large onion, peeled and finely diced
6-8 oz lardons streaky bacon, diced
1 oz butter
1 glass of wine
4 Tbsp creme fraiche or sour cream
1 garlic clove, peeled and cut in half
sea salt
fresh ground black pepper
1 ripe Reblochon or Willoughby cheese
Preheat the oven to 400°F
Bring a large pan of water to the boil and cook the potatoes whole, in their skins, for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook the onion and bacon in the butter in a heavy frying pan over a medium heat; they should sweat but not brown. When they are cooked, discard the fat and add the glass of wine and the creme fraiche and mix well.
Drain the potatoes and as soon as they are cool enough to handle peel them (or don’t) — the quicker the better. Slice thinly across.
Choose an ovenproof earthenware dish and rub it well with the cut halves of garlic. Layer half the sliced potatoes across the base, season them with salt and freshly ground black pepper, then scatter over half the onion and bacon mixture.
Cut the Reblochon cheese in half through the centre of the cheese, leaving you with a cut edge and a skin/rind edge, then lay one half of the cheese on top of the potato, bacon and onion mixture. Add the remaining bacon and onion mixture followed by the rest of the potatoes and more seasoning.
Place the remaining half of cut Reblochon cheese skin/rind side up on top of the potatoes. Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350F for another 20-25 minutes. The Reblochon should melt within its skin and the cheese drip down throughout the dish, while the potatoes will become crispy and golden brown.
Tartiflette is a filling dish and all you really need to go with it is a mixed green salad, crusty French bread and a selection of pickles.
Pork Loin Braised with Cabbage
You can prepare the dish a day ahead, and chill overnight. Cut the pork loin into 1/4-inch slices. Gently reheat the meat in cabbage mixture in a Dutch oven over medium-low heat.
4 teaspoons Hungarian sweet paprika, divided
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, divided
1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage
1 (2-pound) boneless pork loin, trimmed
Cooking spray
3/4 cup diced bacon (about 4 ounces)
14 cups thinly sliced cabbage (about 2 pounds)
2 1/2 cups thinly sliced onion (about 2 medium)
3/4 cup thinly sliced carrot (about 1)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds
1 (12-ounce) bottle dark lager
Preheat oven to 350°.
Combine 2 teaspoons paprika, 1 teaspoon thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, and sage; rub over pork. Heat a large ovenproof Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add pork to pan; cook 5 minutes, browning on all sides. Remove pork from pan.
Add bacon to pan; cook 3 minutes. Add cabbage, onion, and carrot. Cover, reduce heat to medium, and cook 15 minutes or until cabbage begins to wilt, stirring occasionally. Stir in tomato paste, remaining 2 teaspoons paprika, remaining 1 teaspoon thyme, remaining 1/2 teaspoon pepper, caraway seeds, and lager. Return pork to pan. Cover and bake at 350° for 2 hours or until tender. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt.
Colombian Beef Stew (Carne Guisada)
Savory beef, tender potatoes, and a richly spiced sauce make this Colombian Beef Stew a new twist on an old classic. Topped with creamy avocado-cilantro sauce, this satisfying dinner will quickly become a family favorite. If you want, simply substitute your chimichurri for the avocado-cliantro sauce, or add an avocado to make it creamier.
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1¼ pounds stew beef
3 cups chopped ripe tomatoes (about 4 tomatoes)
2 cups chopped yellow onion (about 2 medium onions)
4 tablespoons minced garlic
¾ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
2 cups beef broth
1 tablespoons white vinegar
1 pound baby red potatoes, cut into uniform bite-sized pieces
For the Creamy Avocado-Cilantro Sauce (or, substitute chimichurri!):
½ of a large, ripe avocado
Juice of half of one lime
½ cup cilantro leaves and stems
1 scallion (green onion)
¼ teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Heat the oil in a 5-quart or larger Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add the beef in a single layer and let cook, undisturbed, until the meat is browned and releases easily from the bottom of the pan (3-5 minutes). Turn the beef and repeat process to brown on each side.
Add the tomatoes and onion to the pot. Toss well and use a wooden spoon to scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the garlic, cumin, and cayenne pepper and cook for 30 seconds. Pour the beef broth and vinegar into the pot and allow the contents of the pot to come to a boil. Turn the heat down to low, cover, and simmer until the beef is tender (90-120 minutes).
Add the potatoes and cook, uncovered, over medium heat for 30-60 minutes until the potatoes are tender.
Meanwhile, prepare the creamy avocado-cilantro sauce by placing the avocado, lime juice, cilantro, scallion, and salt into the bowl of a small food processor or blender. Pulse a few times, then slowly add the olive oil and continue to process until creamy and smooth.
Serve the stew warm topped with the creamy avocado-cilantro sauce.
Tri-Color Ginger-Orange Carrot Cake
This just blew your mind a little bit, right? Me too. This recipe from Hungry Rabbit is a perfect, elegant way to appreciate the colors of your vegetables. Oh, and a great excuse to eat cake…
2-1/2 cups (12-1/2 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1-1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1-1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 ground cloves
6 ounces purple carrots, peeled & grated
6 ounces orange carrots, peeled & grated
6 ounces white carrots, peeled & grated
1-1/2 cups (10-1/2 ounces) granulated sugar
1/2 cup (4 ounces) packed light brown sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
1-1/2 cups vegetable oil or canola oil
1/2 cup minced crystallized ginger
8 ounces cream cheese softened
5 tablespoons (2-12 ounces) unsalted butter softened
1 tablespoon orange juice
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
1-1/4 cups (5 ounces) confectioners’ sugar
Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 350℉. Spray three 8-inch cake pan with nonstick cooking spray. Line bottom of pan with parchment and spray parchment.
Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, ground ginger and salt in large bowl; set aside. Whisk cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves into a small bowl, set aside.
In a large bowl whisk all sugars, eggs, vanilla and orange zest until thoroughly combined, about 30-40 seconds. While whisking, add oil in a steady stream. Whisk until the mixture is light in color and well emulsified, about 1 minute. Fold in crystallized ginger, and the flour mixture with a rubber spatula until incorporated and no streaks of flour remain.
Divide batter evenly into three bowls. Add each color carrots into one bowl. Add 1/4 teaspoons cinnamon, 1/8 teaspoons nutmeg and cloves into the purple carrot batter, stir to combine. Divide cinnamon mixture be evenly between orange and purple carrot batter, stir to combine. Pour each batter into prepared cake pans and bake until a toothpick or inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 22-25 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time. Cool cakes in pan for 10 minutes on a wire rack. Remove cakes from pans and cool on lightly greased wire rack to room temperature, about 45 minutes.
In the bowl of a food processor fitted with blade attachment, process cream cheese, butter, and orange juice and zest until combined, about 15 seconds, scraping down bowl with rubber spatula as needed. Add confectioners’ sugar and process until smooth, about 20 seconds.
Trim cake layers if necessary to remove domed top. Place purple carrot layer on a cake stand or serving platter, spread a layer of frosting evenly on top. Place orange carrot layer and spread frosting evenly on top. Repeat with white carrot layer and spread remaining frosting on top and sides of cake. Refrigerate for 30 minutes and serve. (Cake can be wrapped in plastic wrap and refrigerate up to 3 days.)
Vegan Fried Rice with Vegetables
Who says meat-eaters have all the fun? This recipe makes a delicious, colorful, healthy side or main dish. You can use your frozen stir fry as some or all of the veggies in this dish! You can add tempeh or tofu too if you have it.
2 teaspoons organic canola oil or any high smoke point oil
8-10 cloves of garlic, chopped
2-3 cups cooked Rice (or noodles or Quinoa)
2 cups vegetables – for example, red and green bell peppers, celery, button mushrooms, broccoli, carrots and peas
2 teaspoons Sesame oil
1 Tablespoon or more Soy sauce or other Asian sauce of choice
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon raw sugar
¼ teaspoon black pepper
In a wok or large pan/skillet, heat 2-3 teaspoons of a high smoke point oil of choice on high heat. Add garlic and cook until golden. Add onions and green and red bell peppers and mix. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally until brown on the edges.
Add mushrooms and celery and cook for another 2 minutes.
At this point, you can also add regular tofu or Soy-free tofu or steamed Tempeh for more protein, and cook for 2 minutes.
Add in the broccoli, carrots, peas, salt, black pepper and sugar. Reduce heat to medium, cover and cook for 3-4 minutes.
Add in cooked rice or noodles(or quinoa), soy sauce and sesame oil. Toss well, taste and adjust salt, spice and seasoning. Add a splash of water if needed. Add in some Sriracha or other chili sauce for the heat. Cover and cook 2 minutes. Serve hot.
Roasted Rutabaga in Brown Butter
Serves 4 as a side dish
1 large rutabaga, about 1 1/2 pounds
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
Flaky salt and freshly ground black pepper
Juice of 1/2 lemon
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
Heat the oven to 450°F. Peel the rutabaga with a vegetable peeler and cut into 1/2-inch to 3/4-inch cubes.
Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat and cook for about 5 minutes, until the butter foams then browns into a nutty, toasty-smelling liquid.
Toss the rutabaga with the browned butter and season with salt and pepper. Transfer the rutabaga to a large baking sheet and spread into a single layer. Roast for 25 to 40 minutes or until browned and tender. Remove from the baking sheet and toss with lemon juice and parsley.
Mixed Greens - This week's salad greens are a mix of spinach and shoots. Our winter spinach is a real survivor that comes straight from our high tunnels. As you know, our shoots include radish and sunflower shoots, and are packed with nutrients. This great mix can be eaten as a salad or tossed in at the end of a stir fry for some extra color.
Mixed Carrots - 
Jasper Hill's Willoughby Cheese is
VT99 is a collaboration between Pete's Greens and Jasper Hill Farm, where pigs are raised on the nutritious by-products of the two businesses: why (from cheesemaking), and organic vegetable scraps (from our farm). These pigs live happy and healthy lives and it shows in the pork products from VT99. You will receive a Pork Loin Roast, which is a cut that lends itself well to slow roasting or grilling over moderate heat. Slab Bacon is the same as sliced bacon, just not yet sliced. This means you have more flexibility in how to cut and use it (it's great cubed in soups and casseroles). Lastly from VT99, we're sending you a new product: Beet Sausage! The recipe for this brilliantly red pork sausage includes our red beets, which adds a depth of earthy flavor to the sausage, in addition to the color.
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