Chocolate Scones
Submitted and tested by Albemarle Baking Company, Charlottesville, VA
2 cups flour
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1/3 cup cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoons baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 stick butter, cold, cut into pieces
1 egg
1 cup vanilla yogurt
1 cup mini chocolate chips
Cut butter into the dry ingredients as you would for pie dough. Add the egg and yogurt and mix until dough just comes together. Add chocolate chips and mix only until incorporated.
Pan the scones one of two ways: either drop dough by the spoonful on a non-greased sheet, or spread dough on an un-greased sheet about ½ inch thick. Bake in a preheated 400 F oven for 20 minutes.
Claire’s Chicken Curry
Submitted and tested by Claire’s at the Depot, Warrenton, VA
Yield: 7 1/2 quarts
Serves: 25 – 30 guests
8 -10 pounds cooked organic chicken, pulled from the bone
1 pound unsalted butter
3 large yellow onions, diced
1/3 cup garlic
1/2 cup ginger
2 cups flour
3 tablespoons curry powder
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon cayenne
2 teaspoons turmeric
3 tablespoons salt
2 teaspoons white pepper
2 teaspoons crushed red pepper
2 teaspoons fennel seeds
1 teaspoon garam masala
1/4 cup lemon juice
28 ounces coconut milk
3 quarts chicken or vegetable stock
In a large brazier or Dutch oven, melt butter with onions and sauté for 5 minutes or until soft. Add garlic and ginger and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. Whisk in flour and all of the spices, stirring, and cook for another 4 minutes.
Add stock, lemon juice, and coconut milk. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and cook for 10 to 15 minutes until combined. Add chicken and heat through. Serve.
Note: This can be made vegetarian by substituting the chicken with tofu or other seasonal vegetables and using vegetable stock in place of chicken stock.
Potato Gnocchi
Submitted and tested by The Restaurant at Patowmack Farm, Lovettsville, VA
Total time: 2 hours
Yield: about 120 pieces of gnocchi
1 pound Yukon Gold potato, cooked and riced
6 ½ ounces OO* or AP flour
4 egg yolks
1 teaspoon salt
Cook the potatoes until completely done, then pass through a food mill or potato ricer. In a large bowl, add the egg yolks and salt to the potatoes. Using your hands, slowly incorporate flour into the mixture and knead together until all the flour has been used and a dough ball has formed. Sprinkle a little extra flour onto your work surface and cut the dough into portions. Roll the dough portions by hand into logs about ½-inch thick. Cut the logs into ½-inch pieces of gnocchi. Place the gnocchi on a lightly floured baking sheet.
Cook the gnocchi in two batches, adding them to a large pot of boiling water—they are finished when they float to the surface. Using a slotted spoon or strainer, remove the gnocchi and transfer to an ice bath only long enough to cool down, then remove immediately. Reserve until ready to use.
Chef’s note: In the restaurant, the gnocchi are sautéed in butter and garnished with prosciutto and sage. This makes a simple, elegant side dish to accompany a main course. For a hearty pasta dish, add vegetables and a sauce.
*OO flour is an Italian flour preferred for this recipe because it is much finer and creates a softer finished product. If you cannot locate this product, AP flour will work as well.
Raw Beet, Dill and Mustard Seed Salad
Submitted and tested by Suzanne Simon & Bettina Stern, Loulies.com
Packing lots of flavor, color, and crunch, this healthy salad is a perfect side dish with dinner. Or pile it high on an open-faced egg salad sandwich for a late breakfast or lunch.
Serves 6
1 large bunch dill, washed and dried (stalks removed)
1 bunch beets, washed and peeled
Juice of 1 lemon
Extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons mustard seeds
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Chop the dill and place in a large bowl, reserving some dill for garnish. Then, attaching a julienne blade to a food processor, grate the beets (or you can grate by hand). Add the grated beets to bowl with dill. Add lemon juice and a generous glug of olive oil, salt and freshly ground pepper. Mix to combine well.
Heat a small cast iron or heavy pan. Toast mustard seeds for a couple of minutes, add to the salad and toss well to combine. Garnish with a bit of reserved chopped dill.
It may be freezing outside, but you can warm up the chilly night with Blue Ridge Blue
Ingredients: ½ oz blue-colored liqueur, 2 ½ oz Blue Ridge Vodka, ½ oz fresh lemon juice, dash of lemonade, slice of orange, blue colored sugar
Add all of the ingredients to your cocktail shaker with some ice. Shake well then strain into a martini glass rim coated with blue sugar. Garnish with an
½ ounce blue-colored liqueur, such as Blue Curacao
2 ½ ounces Blue Ridge Vodka
½ ounce fresh lemon juice
dash of lemonade
1 slice of orange
blue colored sugar
Add all of the ingredients to your cocktail shaker with some ice. Shake well then strain into a martini glass rim coated with blue sugar. Garnish with an orange slice.
Blue Ridge Blue
It may be freezing outside, but you can warm up the chilly night with a delicious Blue Ridge Blue.
½ ounce blue-colored liqueur, such as Blue Curacao
2 ½ ounces Blue Ridge Vodka
½ ounce fresh lemon juice
dash of lemonade
1 slice of orange
blue colored sugar
Add all of the ingredients to your cocktail shaker with some ice. Shake well then strain into a martini glass rim coated with blue sugar. Garnish with an orange slice.
