• 2 cups diced potatoes
• 4 tbsp butter
• 6 leeks, cchopped
• 3 cups chicken stock
• salt and pepper, to taste
• dash nutmeg
• 2 cups heavy cream

Chopped chives  for garnish

Cook the potatoes until tender. Melt the butter in pot and cook the leeks for a few minutes. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Simmer the leeks until tender.

Add the potatoes and season to taste with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Puree until smooth.  (Use an immersion blender, if possible.)

Chill.

When ready to serve, mix heavy cream.

Garnish with chopped chives.

• 1 cup chopped red bell pepper
• 1/2 cup chopped jalapeno pepper
• 5 cups white sugar
• 1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
• 1 (6 fluid ounce) container liquid pectin

Remove stems, veins and most of the seeds of the bell and jalapeno peppers. Use gloves or avoid touching your face after handling peppers. Mince peppers in a food processor (and keep your face away from the opening of the food processor.)

In a 5-quart pot over high heat, combine bell peppers, jalapenos, sugar and vinegar.

Bring to a rolling boil; boil for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and cool for 5 minutes. Stirring constantly, add the pectin and let mixture continue to cool for 2 minutes more. Stir for 1 minute. Pour into hot, sterilized jars and top with sterilized lids.

Process in a water bath for at least 15 minutes to create pressure seal.

Makes 6 1/2-pint jars.

(Note:  Do not double recipe.  It will not set up correctly.)

• 4 tbsp butter
• 6 cups butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut
• 2 leeks, chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 3 celery stalks, chopped
• 2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, chopped
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon crumbled dried sage leaves
• 6 cups chicken stock
• 1 cup Apple Cider
• Salt and pepper, to taste

• 1/2 cup apple cider
• 2/3 cup sour cream

• 1 cup heavy cream
• Chopped fresh chives

In soup pot, sauté squash, leeks, carrots, and celery in butter until slightly softened, about 10 minutes.

Add stock and 1 cup cider and bring to boil. Boil about 10 minutes to reduce a bit and intensify flavors.  Mix in apples, thyme and sage. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until apples are tender, about 45 minutes.

Purée soup.  An immersion blender is best.  if you don’t have one, use a conventional blender but do be careful! Return soup to pan. Check for seasoning and add salt and pepper, as desired.

Boil remaining 1/2 cup cider in small saucepan until reduced to 1/4 cup, about 5 minutes. Cool. Place sour cream in small bowl. Whisk in reduced cider.

(Soup and cider cream can both be made 1 day ahead.)

To serve:  Bring soup to simmer. Mix in whipping cream. Ladle soup into bowls. Drizzle with cider cream and op with chives.

Julia Child

Julia Child in the Family and Friend’s Cookbook? Well… yes. After watching her for soooo many years and reading all of her books, she seems like an old family friend. And her pie crust recipe is just too good – and simple – for words!

• 5 ¼ cups pastry or all-purpose flour
• 1 tbsp kosher salt
• 1 ½ sticks cold, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 1 ¾ cups cold solid vegetable shortening (or lard)
• 1 cup ice water

Starting with very cold ingredients, mix all dry ingredients in food processor and pulse a few times just to mix.

Add the pieces of very cold butter and shortening and pulse until it looks like coarse cornmeal.

Add water a bit at a time, pulsing as you add, until mixture has curds and sticks together when pressed between your fingers. Do not pulse until it forms a ball – you’ve mixed it too much!

Wrap in plastic and chill for 2 hours, then roll out on lightly floured board.

This is enough for 2 double crusted pies. Remainder can be frozen.

I came up with this one for a going away party.

Cake:

• 2 1/4 cups cake flour
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 3/4 cup Pumpkin Butter
• 1/3 cup vanilla yogurt
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 3 large eggs

Frosting

• 1 pound cream cheese, room temperature
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup Pumpkin Butter
• 1/4 cup honey
• pinch ground allspice
• 1 cup chilled whipping cream
• 1 jar Pumpkin Butter

Make cake:

Preheat oven to 350F. Line 15 1/2 x 10 1/2 sheet pan with parchment paper. Butter and flour. Sift  flour and next 5 ingredients into medium bowl. Whisk pumpkin, yogurt, honey and vanilla in small bowl to blend. Using mixer, beat butter in large bowl until fluffy. Gradually beat in sugar. Beat in eggs 1 at a time. Mix dry ingredients into butter mixture alternately with pumpkin mixture.
Spread batter evenly in prepared pan. Bake about 25 minutes. Cool in pan on rack.

Make frosting:

Beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, 1/2 cup pumpkin, honey and allspice in large bowl until fluffy. Beat whipping cream in medium bowl until stiff peaks form. Fold whipped cream into cream cheese mixture.
Cut cake crosswise into thirds. Place first piece on cake plate. Spread with frosting. Spread thin layer of pumpkin butter on top of frosting. Top with second cake. Spread with frosting and again top with pumpkin butter. Top with third cake. Spread remaining frosting decoratively onto top and sides of cake.

Chill.

Ruth Pearson

• 3/4 cup Grapeseed oil (or other light, neutral oil)
• 1/4 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
• 3/4 cup Pumpkin Butter
• Salt and Pepper to taste.

Whisk dressing ingredients together, adding salt and pepper to taste.

This recipe comes from our friend Susan. The original hails from Washington State and was included in a local chamber/community cookbook.

She has made it with both red wine vinegar and balsamic vinegar – and both are fantastic!  It serves 6-8 people, and is easy to double.

• 1/4 cup currants or raisins
• 3 tbsp red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar
• 4 large sweet onions (Walla Walla Sweets, Maui’s, Maya’s, or Vidalia’s)
• 4 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves

Preheat oven to 350°.  Soak currants or raisins in vinegar for 10 minutes.  Cut each onion lengthwise into eighths and place in shallow roasting pan.

Melt butter, stir in currants/raisins, vinegar, and other ingredients.  Pour over onions and mix well – stirring and breaking up onions so they are coated on all sides.

Bake until onions are soft and glazed, about 30 minutes.  Baste and stir occasionally to keep from burning tips that may stick up.

Serve warm.

If you have a bumper crop of green tomatoes, you can make up a huge batch of filling and freeze it, so you can enjoy the pie anytime!

• Double crust for 9″ pie

• 5 medium Green Tomatoes, sliced and diced
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 3 tbsp flour
• 3 tbsp vinegar
• 1/2 tsp cloves
• 1/2 tsp allspice
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• pinch of salt
• dash of lemon juice
• a bit of butter

Mix together and pour into unbaked pie shell. Dot with butter Top with pie crust and seal edges.  Poke a few steam holes in top and bake at 350° as you would an apple pie.

• 2 cups quinoa, washed and drained
• 4 cups water
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 5 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• 1 cup fresh corn kernels, cooked
• 1 cup finely chopped red onion
• 4 plum tomatoes diced
• 1 cup diced cucumbers
• 1 ripe avocado, diced

Cook quinoa according to package instructions. Transfer the quinoa to a large bowl and cool to room temperature.

Sprinkle the grains with the salt and pepper and stir, folding from underneath the grains. Fold 4 tbsp of the lemon juice and the oil. Gently fold in the cilantro and garlic.

Fold the corn, onion, tomatoes, cucumbers and avocado into the quinoa. Adjust the seasonings to taste. Best served at room temperature. Serves 8 to 10.

This makes a delightful brunch item, or a side dish with meat, chicken or fish. Even works well paired up with a nice salad.

• 1 8 oz. can Artichoke Hearts, drained & chopped
• 4 Eggs (or egg substitute)
• 1 Cup Shredded Mexican Blend Cheese
• 1 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese (reserve 1/2 cup)
• 12 Vinta Crackers (crushed into crumbs)
• 1 Medium Onion (diced)
• Salt & Pepper to taste

Place all but 1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese into a bowl and mix well (or use food processor). Pour into 8×8 greased pan. Sprinkle top with remaining Parmesan Cheese. Bake 45 minutes in 350 degree oven. Top should be golden brown when done. Cut into squares. Serve hot or cold.