Recipes

Asparagus Dillys Blackberry Grunt Boulgour Pilaf (for Armenian Lamb Stew) Buffalo (or Beef) Mushroom Stew Chicken Breast Saute with Morel Salsa Chicken with Cucumber and Bitter Melon Clarified Butter Cornish Pasties Deep Fried Cheese Curds German Potato Salad Grilled Asparagus with Mustard Vinaigrette Hmong-style Spicy Carrot Salad Madagh (Armenian Lamb Stew) Maple Rhubarb Pie Norwegian Meatballs O.J.’s Barbeque Chicken Salad-in-a-Sandwich Smoked Whitefish Chowder Traditional Limburger Sandwich Wurst Soup

Asparagus Dillys From "Asparagus: The Spear-It of Spring" Makes 1 quart 1 teaspoon dill seed 1 teaspoon dill weed 2 medium cloves garlic, thin-sliced 1-2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and thin-sliced 1 pound asparagus 1½ cups cider vinegar 5 teaspoons coarse kosher salt Place dill seed, dill weed, garlic and peppers in clean one-quart canning jar. Trim asparagus to fit height of jar and peel them. Pack asparagus, tips up, into jar. Bring vinegar, salt and 1½ cups water to boil in non-reactive saucepan. Pour hot liquid over asparagus, cover tightly with fitted lid, and cool to room temperature. Store in refrigerator two weeks to develop flavor. Refrigerate after opening.

Blackberry Grunt From Fresh Market Wisconsin (Amherst Press, 1993) 4-6 servings Vary the berries (strawberries, blueberries, etc.) and syrups as you like. If fruit syrup isn’t available, substitute 2 tablespoons berry-flavored liqueur, increase water to 3 tablespoons, and add 1/3 cup sugar to the berries. 2 heaping cups fresh or semi-frozen blackberries ¼ cup blackberry syrup 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 1 cup flour 3 tablespoons sugar 1 teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon baking soda dash of salt ½ cup milk 1 tablespoon melted butter 1 tablespoon vegetable oil cinnamon sugar Combine blackberries, syrup, lemon juice and 1 tablespoon water in a medium-sized, non-reactive skillet. Stir gently, then bring to simmer over low heat. Meanwhile, whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in bowl. Whisk milk, butter and oil in another bowl. Stir wet mixture into dry mixture. Drop batter by large spoonfuls over berries. Sprinkle lightly with cinnamon sugar. Cover tightly and cook over medium-low heat 15 minutes, or until dumplings are firm. Serve warm.

Boulgour Pilaf (Wheat Pilaf) From Wisconsin Food Festivals (Amherst Press, 1995) 6 servings 3 tablespoons clarified butter ¾ cup fine egg noodles 1 ½ cups large grain (or coarse grind) bulgur 3 cups boiling homemade meat stock or canned chicken broth salt Heat clarified butter in heavy pot over medium heat. Add noodles and cook, stirring often, until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in bulgur and continue to cook 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in boiling liquid. If you are using unsalted stock, stir in 1 teaspoon salt. Lower heat, cover pot, and cook until liquid is absorbed, 13 to 15 minutes. Turn off heat; keep bulgur covered 5 minutes to absorb any remaining liquid. Taste and add more salt only if necessary.

Buffalo (or Beef) Mushroom Stew From Wisconsin's Hometown Flavors (Prairie Oak Press, 1998) 6-8 servings olive oil 2 pounds buffalo (or beef) stew meat flour seasoned with salt and pepper 1 cup chopped onion 12 ounces (1½ cups) dark beer 3 tablespoons tomato paste 1 teaspoon thyme 1 teaspoon oregano 1½ cups (15-20 medium-size) dried morels (or other dried mushrooms) 8 ounces medium-size brown mushrooms, ends trimmed 8 ounces medium-size white mushrooms, ends trimmed salt and pepper Film the bottom of a large, heavy skillet with olive oil. Heat over medium heat. Toss buffalo meat in seasoned flour. Brown the meat in the hot oil, a few pieces at a time (do not crowd the pan or the meat will simmer instead of brown). As pieces are browned, transfer them to a heavy pot. If necessary, add a bit more oil to the skillet with each batch. When all the meat is browned, add a bit more oil to skillet and add the chopped onions. Cook, stirring often, until they begin to soften. Transfer onions to the pot with meat. Stir beer, tomato paste, thyme, and oregano into the skillet; bring to simmer, stirring to scrape up any bits on the bottom. Pour beer mixture into pot with meat and onions. Bring to simmer, lower heat, cover, and cook very slowly. As stew begins to cook, bring 1 cup water to boil and pour it over the dried mushrooms. Place a small plate over the mushrooms to completely immerse them. Let stand until mushrooms are soft, about 5 minutes. Strain the mushroom liquid through cheesecloth or a thick layer of paper towels into a bowl. Remove soaked mushrooms from the cheesecloth, rinse them, and add them to the stew. Now stir the strained liquid and both kinds of fresh mushrooms into stew. (Don't worry if it seems as if there's not enough liquid; the mushrooms will throw off additional liquid as they cook.) Return stew to very slow simmer, partially cover, and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until meat is very tender and stew is thickened, 1-2 hours. (Alternatively, stew may be cooked in 300-degree oven.) Season to taste with salt and pepper. Although the stew will be rich and flavorful at this point, it will be incredible if you let it stand several hours before reheating and serving.

Chicken Breast Saute with Morel Salsa From Wisconsin Food Festivals (Amherst Press, 1995) 4 servings 3 tablespoons olive oil (divided) 1 pound morels, chopped salt and freshly ground black pepper 2 teaspoons minced garlic ¼ cup chopped green onions ¼ cup slivered almonds 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped cilantro or parsley 3 tablespoons lemon juice 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 6 ounces each) ¼ cup dry white wine Heat 1 ½ tablespoons of the oil over medium-high heat in large, heavy skillet. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring often, until nearly tender, 3-5 minutes. (If mushrooms give off excess liquid, raise heat to high and simmer hard until liquid evaporates). Season with salt and pepper. Stir in garlic; cook 1 minute. Stir in green onions, almonds, cilantro and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper. Remove mixture to bowl; cover and keep warm. Wipe out skillet. Place chicken breasts on cutting board or waxed paper; with the heel of your hand, pound and flatten thicker end of each breast. Heat remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat in the skillet. Add chicken to pan; brown and cook on one side 4 minutes. Turn breasts and cook until done, 4 to 6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove chicken from pan; keep warm. Raise heat under skillet to high. Stir in wine; simmer hard, stirring often, until reduced to syrupy glaze, 2 to 4 minutes. Stir into mushrooms. Serve over chicken breasts.

Chicken with Cucumber and Bitter Melon From "Hmong Flavor" 2-3 servings To cook Hmong-style you’ve got to know how to stir-fry. The basics include a heavy pan, high heat, little oil, uniformly cut vegetables, and lots of stirring and tossing. Be sure to have all ingredients ready before beginning to cook. 1 small bitter melon 1 tablespoon salt 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided ½ pound skinless chicken breast meat, diced 1 teaspoon minced garlic 2 green onions, chopped 1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced 1 tablespoon soy sauce 1 tablespoon sugar Cut bitter melon in half lengthwise, scoop out seeds, and dice. Toss with salt in colander; let stand 20 minutes. Rinse well; squeeze out excess liquid. Heat 1 tablespoon oil over high heat in large, heavy skillet. Add chicken, garlic and green onions; stir-fry until barely tender, 3-4 minutes. Remove to a bowl. Wipe out pan; heat again with remaining oil. Add bitter melon and cucumber; stir-fry until barely tender, 3-4 minutes. Stir in soy sauce and sugar. Stir in chicken and heat through. Serve with white rice and hot pepper sauce.

Clarified Butter Clarified Butter To clarify butter, melt any amount of butter over gentle heat, then skim off the foamy white substance that has collected on the surface. Spoon out the clear yellow liquid (this is the clarified butter); there will be a little milky substance left. Use the clarified butter for sauteing; it doesn't burn as easily as unclarified butter. (The "milk solids" can be discarded, added to the dish later, or used to flavor soups, sauces or vegetables.)

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Cornish Pasties From Wisconsin Food Festivals (Amherst Press, 1995) 8 servings Crust: 3 cups flour ½ teaspoon salt 12 tablespoons (6 ounces) chilled vegetable shortening 1 egg ice water Filling: 1 ½ pounds round steak, cut into ¾-inch chunks 3 cups thickly sliced potatoes (peeled or unpeeled) 1 cup thickly sliced, peeled rutabaga or turnip 1 cup chopped onion salt and pepper 3 tablespoons butter, cut into 8 pieces egg, beaten To make crust, mix flour and salt; cut in shortening until size of small peas. Break egg into measuring cup; mix lightly. Add enough ice water to equal 1 cup and mix. Gradually add liquid to flour mixture while tossing mixture with large fork until dough forms. Dough will be wet. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill thoroughly, 1 hour or longer. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease 1 large or two small baking sheets or line them with parchment paper or aluminum foil. To make filling, toss beef, potatoes, rutabaga, onion, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper in a bowl. On a floured surface, divide dough into 8 equal portions. Roll each into a ball. Roll out each ball into a 7- or 8-inch circle (do 2 at a time, if desired), using additional flour to keep dough from sticking. Divide filling onto dough circles, leaving a 1 1/2-inch edge all around filling. Place a piece of butter on filling; sprinkle with additional salt and pepper to taste. Hold filling back with one hand to keep it from falling out as you fold dough over filling with other hand to form a half-moon. Use extra flour if needed. Press top edge onto bottom edge all around filling. Fold dough edges toward filling to seal tightly. (Pasties will be lumpy, but avoid allowing vegetables to poke through the dough.) Place on baking pans. Brush each pasty with egg. Bake 20 minutes, then reduce heat to 375 degrees and bake until golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes longer. Serve pasties with chili sauce, homemade tomato sauce, ketchup, or salsa.

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Deep-fried Cheese Curds From Wisconsin Food Festivals (Amherst Press, 1995) 8 to 12 servings 1 ½ cups boxed pancake mix ½ cup stale beer 1 egg, lightly beaten 1 ½ to 2 pounds young, mild Cheddar, cut into 1-inch cubes Oil for frying Heat oil until very hot (360 degrees). Meanwhile, place pancake mix in a medium bowl. Mix beer, egg and scant 1/2 cup water and stir into pancake mix. Toss cheese cubes in batter. Fry briefly in small batches until brown and puffed. Drain on paper towels. Don't serve these piping hot or tongues will be burned; allow fried cheese to cool a moment before eating them.

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German Potato Salad From Wisconsin Food Festivals (Amherst Press, 1995) 8 servings 3 pounds salad potatoes, scrubbed ½ pound bacon 1 cup chopped onion ½ cup sugar ½ cup cider vinegar 1 tablespoon cornstarch salt and pepper 1 egg, beaten (optional) Boil potatoes in water until tender. Drain, cool and peel potatoes. Slice and place in large bowl. Fry bacon until crisp; drain on paper towel and reserve. Remove most of the bacon grease from the pan. Add onion and cook until golden and tender. Stir in sugar, vinegar, 1/4 cup water and optional egg. Mix cornstarch with another 1/4 cup water and stir into sauce. Boil until thickened. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Fold sauce into potatoes, and let stand awhile to soak in. Crumble reserved bacon and add to salad. You may bake it at 350 degrees until heated or serve at room temperature.

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Grilled Asparagus with Mustard Vinaigrette From "Asparagus: The Spear-It of Spring" 4-6 servings 1½ pounds thick-stemmed asparagus olive oil for grilling 1 teaspoon minced garlic, pressed to a paste with a fork 2 teaspoons Dijon-style mustard 2 tablespoons red or white wine vinegar salt and pepper 3 tablespoons olive oil Clip off tough ends and peel lower half of asparagus spears. Brush with olive oil and grill slowly over low coals, turning often. When spears are tender but still firm, remove to a platter. Combine garlic, mustard, vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste; whisk in oil and drizzle over warm asparagus. Serve warm or at room temperature.

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Hmong-style Spicy Carrot Salad From "Hmong Flavor" 4 servings In Wisconsin a Hmong "cole slaw" is made with carrots, cabbage or even cucumber; in Laos, the main ingredient would be unripe papaya. 6 cups finely shredded carrots, divided 2 teaspoons minced garlic 2-4 seeded, chopped red or green Thai (or other) chilies ½ cup roasted peanuts, ground grated peel and juice of 1 lime 2 teaspoons bottled Thai fish sauce 2 teaspoons sugar Combine 2 cups shredded carrots with garlic and peppers in wooden mortar or bowl. Smash mixture with wooden pestle or sturdy spoon until mashed and somewhat juicy. This will take several minutes. Add remaining ingredients, including remaining carrots; continue to smash until carrots are limp and juicy, 5-10 minutes.

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Madagh (Armenian Lamb or Beef Stew) From Wisconsin Food Festivals (Amherst Press, 1995) 6 servings 1 tablespoon clarified butter 1 cup chopped onion 3 pounds cubed lamb or beef (use any cut that takes well to long-simmering: shoulder, leg, stew meat, etc.) 1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste 1 teaspoon allspice or cumin or Hungarian paprika salt beef, lamb or chicken stock or water freshly ground black pepper Heat a large, heavy pot or braising pan over medium heat. Melt butter in it. Add onions and cook until translucent, stirring often. Add meat and continue to cook, stirring often, until the meat loses its pink color. Stir in tomato paste, choice of spice, a pinch of salt and enough stock to barely cover meat. Bring to simmer, cover, and cook slowly over low heat until meat is very tender and liquid has thickened to a sauce. This will take about 2 hours, depending on the cut of meat. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot over wheat pilaf. (From Araxy Arganian, formerly of Madison, Wisconsin.)

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Maple Rhubarb Pie From Wisconsin's Hometown Flavors (Prairie Oak Press, 1998) 8 servings 5 cups sliced rhubarb (½-inch slices) ¼ cup sugar 2/3 cup pure maple syrup 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ¼ cup flour unbaked 9-inch pie crust, well-chilled or frozen Topping: ½ cup flour ¼ cup sugar ¼ cup brown sugar 1/3 cup oats pinch of salt pinch of cinnamon 4 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small pieces Heat oven to 425 degrees. Toss rhubarb with the sugar in bowl; let stand 15 minutes. Stir in maple syrup, vanilla, and flour; pour into chilled or frozen pie shell. Place on baking tray lined with aluminum foil; bake 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake 10 minutes longer. Meanwhile, make topping by mixing all ingredients until crumbly in a food processor, using the pulse button, or by hand with a pastry cutter. After pie has baked the first 20 minutes, remove from oven and distribute topping evenly over pie. Continue to bake until topping is golden and there are thick, bubbling juices coming from the pie, another 40-50 minutes. Cool completely before serving. It is delicious served with ice cream, frozen custard, or frozen yogurt. (From Krista Bleich of Krista’s Kitchen in Portage, Wisconsin.)

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Norwegian Meatballs From "Cafe Cooking" Makes 25-30 meatballs 1½ pounds ground beef 1/4 pound pork sausage 1/2 cup minced onion 3 eggs 1/4 cup milk 1/2 cup dried breadcrumbs 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon sugar 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg frying oil flour 1 can (10 ¾ ounces) cream of mushroom soup 1 cup beef broth Mix meats, onion, eggs, milk, breadcrumbs and seasonings. Let stand 15 minutes. Form into plum-sized balls. Heat frac14; inch oil in heavy skillet until light haze forms over surface. Roll meatballs lightly in flour; shaking off excess. Fry meatballs in batches, turning occasionally, until browned (do not crowd pan). Drain each batch on paper towels and place in large baking dish. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Discard oil in skillet; stir in mushroom soup and beef broth, scraping bottom of pan to remove flavorful scraps. Bring to simmer; pour over meatballs. Bake 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Sauce will thicken as it cooks.

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O.J.’s Barbequed Chicken From "Cafe Cooking" 4-6 servings ½ cup sugar 4 tablespoons catsup 4 tablespoons molasses 4 tablespoons soy sauce 3 teaspoons salt ½ teaspoon pepper 3 pounds chicken, cut up 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water Mix all ingredients except chicken and cornstarch mixture with 1/2 cup water; toss with the meat. Marinate overnight in refrigerator. Heat oven to 250 degrees. Place chicken pieces on foil-lined baking pan; pour on sauce. Bake until brown and tender, basting 2-3 times, 2-2½ hours. Pour sauce from baking pan into saucepan. Add 1¼ cups water; bring to simmer. Stir in cornstarch mixture to thicken gravy. Ladle over mashed potatoes and/or serve with the chicken.

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Salad-In-A-Sandwich From Fresh Market Wisconsin (Amherst Press, 1993) 3-4 lunch-size servings, 8 or more as side-dish 2 teaspoons minced garlic ½ teaspoon coarse black pepper 1 can (2 ounces) anchovy fillets, well drained 1 tablespoon balsamic or red wine vinegar 2 tablespoons olive oil 2/3 cup coarsely chopped imported black olives 1 long loaf French bread 1 small red onion, thinly sliced 1 medium green bell pepper, thinly sliced 1 medium red bell pepper, thinly sliced 2 medium tomatoes, sliced additional vinegar, olive oil and pepper 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil or basil pesto In a medium bowl, mash garlic and pepper with a fork until they form a paste. Coarsely chop anchovies and mash them into the garlic paste. Stir in vinegar, olive oil and chopped olives. Slice bread loaf in half horizontally and pull out some of the bread from each half. (Bread scraps can be used to make croutons, dried for breadcrumbs or donated to the birds.) Place bottom half of loaf on a large double sheet of aluminum foil. Spread olive mixture evenly over bread surface. Layer on the onions, peppers, and tomatoes. Sprinkle additional vinegar, olive oil and pepper on the cut surface of the top bread half. Sprinkle it with chopped basil or spread with pesto. Place it on the stacked sandwich; press down firmly. Wrap the loaf securely in the aluminum foil and weight with whatever heavy articles are available: books, cans, etc. Keep it weighted one hour or longer. Refrigeration isn't necessary unless it won't be served for several hours. To serve, remove foil, insert toothpicks along the length of the loaf and slice it. The sandwich tastes best at room temperature.

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Smoked Whitefish Chowder From Wisconsin's Hometown Flavors (Prairie Oak Press, 1998) 8 servings 3 tablespoons butter 1 cup chopped leeks 1½ cups chopped carrot 2 cans (each 14½ ounces) chicken broth 4 cups peeled, chopped potatoes 2½ cups milk 1 cup half-and-half 2 cups corn 2 cups boned, smoked whitefish chunks salt and pepper to taste chopped fresh chives or parsley Melt butter in heavy soup pot; add leeks and carrots and saute until tender. Add chicken broth and potatoes; simmer until potatoes are very tender, about 20 minutes. If desired, mash some of the potatoes against the side of the pan to thicken the broth. Stir in milk, half-and-half, corn, smoked fish, salt, and pepper. Gently simmer 10 minutes. Garnish each bowl with chives or parsley.

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Traditional Limburger Sandwich From Wisconsin's Hometown Flavors (Prairie Oak Press, 1998) Makes any number of servings rye bread (dark or light, pumpernickel, sauerkraut rye, etc.) mustard (sweet-hot, brown, whole grain, etc.) sliced limburger thick slices of sweet onion Layer the ingredients as you like into a sandwich. Myron Olson, manager of the Chalet Cheese Company in Monroe, prefers sweet-hot mustard on one slice of bread and mayonnaise on the other. Then, as he recommends, "Wash it down with a beer!"

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Wurst Soup From Wisconsin Food Festivals (Amherst Press, 1998) 5 - 6 servings 1 pound bratwurst (smoked or fresh), cut into bite-size pieces ¼ cup (½ stick) butter 2 medium onions, sliced thin 2 carrots, grated 1 cup celery, sliced thin 1 envelope (1.1 ounces) beefy-onion dried soup mix 1 tablespoon dill seeds 1 teaspoon fennel seeds croutons sour cream paprika Heat a little of the butter in heavy sauce pan; brown bratwurst. Remove and drain well. Heat remaining butter in same pan. Add onions, carrots, and celery; saute until onions are transparent. Add bratwurst, dried soup mix, dill, fennel and 5 cups water. Simmer 30 minutes. Garnish each serving with croutons, a dollop of sour cream, and a sprinkling of paprika. (Recipe from Lois A. Anderson of Sheboygan Falls, first printed in "Bratwurst and Sausage Cookbook," published by the Sheboygan County Convention and Visitors Bureau.)

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