and pour in the mixture. Bake until the bread pudding puffs up and browns on top, about 25 minutes. You can tell if the pudding is done when a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Once the bread pudding is finished, remove from the oven and allow it to stand for 5 – 10 minutes to set before slicing and serving.
Sweet Potato and Walnut Casserole
Number of servings: 8
Ingredients:
5 large sweet potatoes, cut into ¾” thick slices
½ cup coarsely chopped walnuts
4 tbsp butter, cut into small pieces
2 tbsp dark brown sugar
Salt and black pepper, to taste
Preparation:
Preheat your oven to 400 F. Arrange half of the sliced sweet potatoes to form a single layer in a large glass or ceramic baking dish. Sprinkle the layer of sweet potatoes with 1 tbsp of the brown sugar, half of the butter pieces, a little salt and plenty of black pepper. Repeat the process with the remaining sweet potatoes and butter, brown sugar, salt and pepper.
Cover the dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and top the casserole with walnuts and bake for another 40 minutes, uncovered or until the sweet potatoes are tender. Baste the casserole with the syrup formed in the dish every ten minutes while you’re baking it uncovered. Once the casserole is finished, remove from heat, allow it to stand for 5 minutes and serve.
Stuffed Onions
Number of servings:
Ingredients:
4 large yellow onions
2 lbs parsnips, peeled (optional) and sliced into 1/2” thick rounds
1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
½ cup crumbled Roquefort cheese
¼ cup walnuts, toasted and chopped
1 tbsp butter
½ tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper, or to taste
Preparation:
Preheat your oven to 425 F. While it heats, melt the butter in a medium saucepan and add the sliced parsnips, salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, add the broth and cook, covered, for about 15 minutes or until the parsnips are tender. Allow the parsnips to cool for about 10 minutes and transfer the parsnips and broth to a food processor; blend until it becomes a smooth puree. Set the puree aside.
The next step is to roast the onions. Line a large baking pan with foil. Slice a thin slice from the bottom of each onion to prevent them from rolling and cut about half an inch off of the top of each onion. Using a small knife, cut out most of the inside of the onion, leaving a few layers (about half an inch) on the outside. Chop the centers of the onions finely and mix into the pureed parsnips. Stuff each onion with the mixture, rub with olive oil and place on the foil covered baking pan.
Bake for 1 ½ hours, top the onions with Roquefort and walnut and return to the oven for another 5 – 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve at once.
Collard Greens with Bacon
Number of servings: 8
Ingredients:
2 large bunches of collard greens, washed, patted dry and cut into ¾” strips
½ lb thick cut bacon, cooked and crumbled
4 cloves of garlic, crushed
¼ cup olive oil
2 tbsp whole grain brown mustard
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
salt and black pepper, to taste
Preparation:
Mix together 3 tbsp of the olive oil, the mustard, vinegar and a little salt and pepper in a small bowl. Set aside and heat the remainder of the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and collard greens and cook 5 – 10 minutes or until tender, stirring regularly. Add the mustard and vinegar mixture and toss to coat the greens. Transfer the greens to a serving bowl, top with crumbled bacon and serve at once.
Tomato and Cheese Tart
Number of servings: 6
Ingredients:
The dough:
1 ½ cups all purpose flour
6 tbsp unsalted butter, cold, cut into 1/2” pieces
2 tbsp olive oil (plus more as needed)
1 tbsp water
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
The filling:
6 ounces Camembert cheese, cut into 1/8” thick slices
½ cup grated Gruyere or Swiss cheese
4 Roma tomatoes, sliced 1/2” thick
¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped (use flat leaf Italian parsley if possible)
¼ cup fresh basil, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
½ cup olive oil (use extra virgin olive oil)
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp fresh rosemary, minced
2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
1 bay leaf, crumbled into very small pieces
Preparation:
Start by making the dough for your tart. Combine the flour, butter, salt and pepper using a pastry cutter or two knives until you create a coarse, mealy mixture. Mix in 2 tbsp olive oil and the water using a fork, mixing just until the mixture starts to hold together at the bottom – add another tbsp of olive oil if needed. Gather the dough into a ball and flatten it out into a disk; wrap it in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to chill.
Next, preheat your oven to 375 F while you roll out the dough into a 14” circle. Place the dough in a tart pan (or 9” circular pie tin) and set aside. Spread the mustard on the bottom of the shell, followed by the shredded Gruyere or Swiss cheese. Next, place alternating layers of tomato and sliced Camembert over the Gruyere.
Mix together the rest of the olive oil, the herbs and the garlic in a small bowl. Brush about three fourths of the mixture on the tart. Bake the tart
