The Perennial Plate

I went over to the house of my friends Todd and Leslie this weekend. Todd (being a hunter) had a bunch of mallard ducks. Their meat was beautiful and maroon in color. In the two hours before his guests arrived, we whipped up a few tasty items including Barley risotto. Since we don’t grow Arborio rice in MN, barley is a great substitute. And I added wild rice for extra earthy Minnesotaness. The combination of the two grains is delicious and one of my favorite things to make!

When it feels like spring, but there’s nothing growing yet. Hopefully you had the forethought to freeze some berries last season.

One of my favorite meals, is one consisting entirely of vegetarian “side dishes.” Such was our meal this Saturday when we had the Duskwind Farm folks over. Its all pretty simple stuff, but with one bonus, that morning I saw t hat there were Daylilies shooting out of the ground as well as some onions from last year… Miracle of miracles. Anyways here are some recipes and photos of the day.

This recipe is different than most tartare recipes in that I like to put a lot of extra stuff in it. My food philosophy generally leans toward having the meat enhance rather than take center stage and I’ve done the same thing with this recipe.

This recipe is just for an ice cream base — its derived from the likes of Jean Georges and Thomas Keller. Because I was using such delicious milk, I didn’t flavor it. But this base can be flavored with anything.

Here are a series of recipes on how to use every part of the duck. Its a very versatile and forgiving bird, so pick up a few ducks and experiment.

The recipe that I used for making the chevre was from the excellent book Home Cheese Making.  The ingredient list is simple. 1 Gallon whole goat’s milk (they suggest pasteurized, we used raw) 1 packet direct-set chevre starter (which includes: s.lactis, s. cremoris, s. lactis biovar diacetylactis, malto dextrin and vegetable rennet.) salt Heat the milk [...]

A very traditional dish in Minnesota (with our Scandinavian heritage and all) — this recipe is a little lighter, it hold on to the fish flavor and texture more.

The recipe that I made was for a dinner that featured only local ingredients. Thus, you need not follow my recipe exactly, particularly when it comes to the spice. Feel free to play with flavor. 2 teaspoons of spice is generally a good amount. Herbs like parsley, tarragon or event cilantro can be added at the end as well in quantity. The terrine is a chance to get creative.

One of my favorite desserts, here’s the recipe for the bread pudding that I burned in the video.

Here is the recipe from Episode 42 – it is extremely rich, but quite delicious.  I recommend a light chicken stock to not overpower the trout flavor. 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter 1/4 cup diced guanciale (or pancetta) 1 onion, small dice 1 small rainbow trout 1 smoked trout, cut into bite size pieces 1lb sunchokes, [...]

Here is the Recipe from the Episode 39. Its Adapted from a recipe for Thomas Keller’s Quiche Lorraine For the crust 2 cups flour, plus a little more for rolling 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 lb. unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces 1/4 cup ice water For the filling 2 cups milk 2 [...]

Here’s the recipe for Delicata Squash Salad as seen in Episode 38: Serves 2 1 Delicata squash (splash of olive oil, salt, pepper, honey) Bunch of mixed herbs and greens 1 watermelon radish 1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil 1 Teaspoon Pumpkin Seed Oil 1 Teaspoon Cider Vinegar 1 Teaspoon Honey A little bit of [...]

This is the recipe for the Terrine from Episode 37 – it’s very simple and tasty.  The directions are pretty basic, just remember to taste along the way and adjust accordingly.   I brought this as an appetizer to a party and people seemed happy with it – good substitute for pate or other meat [...]

This is like pumpkin pie or squash pie, only much squashier tasting, very smooth and delicious.  its my go to dessert. Sweet tart crust… 2 1/3 C flour 1/3 C usgar pinch salt 1/2 t baking posder 3/4 C (6 ounces) unsalted butter, col, cut into small cubes 1 egg 1 egg yolk splash of [...]