Tree Boy from Thursday December 17

Thursday we cooked a couple of recipes from the WTHR cookbook. This book is available at Marsh supermarkets and proceeds go to charity. We cooked 2 recipes using local Indiana products. People often say, "how can you eat local in the winter in Indiana." The reality is that we have local food products available all year long. Farmers (producers) are growing lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, etc. in green houses. Just head out to one of the many winter farmers markets and you may be amazed.

Interesting facts about Indiana agriculture:

Currently, 23 of Indiana’s 43 wineries produce their own version of Indiana’s new signature wine “Traminette.”

Indiana has 287 organic farms, covering 14,143 acres.

Indiana has more than 120 farmers’ markets across the state.

Indiana has experienced a 222% increase in the number of farmers’ markets

Hoosier farmers grow more than 30 different major fruits and vegetables each year.

Indiana Ranks 1st in the country for commercial duck production.

Indiana Ranks 2nd in the country for chicken egg hatching.

Indiana Ranks 6th in the U.S. in turkeys raised.

Plus we have wineries, farmers markets, agritourism and niche markets like organics.

Hoosiers bought more than $22 million in agricultural products directly from farmers in 2007.

Products used in the segment came from:
Ribs - Moody Meats
Maple Syrup - Burton Maple Syrup
Ketchup, Mustard - Local Folks
Bread made from wheat grown at - Fields of Agape
Apple Cider - Beasley Orchard
Dairy - Traders Point Creamery



Watch Treeboy Segment

12 Days of Local Christmas

Please sing along, everyone, as we unveil our 12 days of local Christmas.


12 Deviled Eggs: Buy local eggs, and dress them up with cured salmon, curry powder, smoked trout or local bacon for your holiday bash!

11 Piped Cheese Straws: Feature local cheeses in these savory Southern treats (see “Zesty Cheese Straws” recipe below).

10 Bottles of Eggnog: Add brandy or spiced rum to Trader’s Point Creamery’s oh soooooo yummy eggnog for a festive holiday cocktail!

9 Dozen Cookies: Revive the cookie exchange! Use local ingredients like persimmons to keep the flavors close to home (see “Persimmon Cookies” recipe below).

8 Friends a Cooking: Try recipes from Chef Thom’s new cookbook featuring local foods

7 Smells a Swirling: Take a sprig of rosemary and remove ¾ of the leaves from the stem. Then, cube meat or vegetables and thread them on the skewer. Bake, and notice the delicious smell wafting through your home as you open the oven door.

6 Gifts of Bacon: Nothing says I love you like Goose the Market’s Indiana Bacon of the Month club

5 New Restaurants: Celebrate the holidays at restaurants featuring local food! Check out www.indyethnicfoods.com, Goose the Market, R Bistro, Pizzology, City Café and more!

4 Meat Markets: Buy your special cuts this year from Indiana butchers with Indiana raised products….Kinkaid’s, Joe’s Butcher Shop, Moody Meats & Klaus’.

3 Stocking Stuffers: Source these from Taste of Indiana, DeBrand’s Fine Chocolates or Indiana Wineries.

2 Farmers’ Markets: Traders Point Creamery and the Indy Winter Farmers’ Market are still open for business!

1 Christmas Tree: The Boy Scouts are selling Christmas trees in Zionsville (just East of downtown on 334) that were grown near Lafayette, IN. Live local! They will even pick up the tree at your house after the holidays and recycle it!

For more Indiana Local gift ideas go to Going Local


Zesty Cheese Straws

Ingredients

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature
2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Directions

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

In a food processor, add the butter, cheese, flour, salt and cayenne and process until a smooth dough is formed. Scoop it into a cookie press, fitted with a flat ridged tip. Pipe the dough in 2-inch strips onto a lightly greased cookie sheet. (Alternatively, refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes and roll on a lightly floured surface into a 1/4-inch thick rectangle. Cut into smaller rectangles, about 2 by 3-inches, with a pizza wheel or sharp knife.) Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to racks to cool.



Persimmon Cookies

Ingredients

Cookies:

1 1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup (4 oz) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
3/4 cup very ripe Indiana persimmon puree
2 3/4 cups flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp cloves
1 cup chopped walnuts
Glaze:

1 1/4 cups confectioner's sugar
2 Tbsp milk
1 Tbsp persimmon puree
1 tsp grated orange peel


Cream butter, brown sugar, vanilla and eggs in a large bowl. Add persimmon puree, stirring until blended. Stir together dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Add dry ingredients to persimmon mixture a third at a time, stirring just until flour is incorporated. Stir in nuts.



Lay out plastic wrap on a large smooth surface. Place the cookie dough on the plastic wrap and form into a long cylindrical log, wrapping the dough completely with the plastic wrap. Place in freezer. Chill at least a couple of hours, until frozen or almost frozen. Preheat oven to 375°F. When dough is fairly solid, unwrap from plastic wrap and slice with a sharp knife, 1/4" thick rounds. Lay out cookie dough rounds on stick-free cookie sheets, leaving at least an inch between the cookies.



Bake for 10-12 minutes or until cookies spring back when lightly touched in center. Let cool on baking racks before frosting. When cookies have cooled, lay out over a sheet of wax paper. Sift confectioner's sugar and then whisk with 2 Tbsp of milk until smooth. Add 1 Tbsp of persimmon puree and 1 tsp of grated orange peel and mix until smooth. Dip spoon into glaze mixture and dribble over cookies. Let harden and serve.



Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

Everything You See I Owe To Spaghetti

Sophia Loren is attributed with this quote, although I think she stole it from my family. Of course, we’re not quite as photogenic. Or as thin. Or as rich. Or as famous. Other than that, people often confuse her with being a member of our family. You can certainly see the resemblance…..



Following Thanksgiving, an entire week of cooking and eating if you play your cards right, culinary inspiration may be stifled. That’s why this two ingredient dish is sure to tantalize your taste buds and help your restore your girlish figure. If this doesn’t work, support the economy by purchasing elastic waist band pants. The retailers will thank you.



Superb Spaghetti Squash



1 Spaghetti Squash

1 Quart tomato juice or sauce



Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Cut spaghetti squash in half. Scoop out seeds and discard, then spray or brush both sides of both halves with olive oil. Place cut side down on a cookie sheet, and place in the oven for 15 minutes. Remove from oven. If a fork can easily pierce the flesh, remove to a baking rack to cool. If not fork tender, return to oven for five minutes and check again. Repeat until fork tender. Allow squash to cool for 30 minutes. Preheat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Remove spaghetti squash from shell. Add to skillet and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Add tomato juice or sauce. Once boiling, reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer until liquid is absorbed, stirring occasionally. Season to taste.



Suggested garnish: Shaved Parmesan cheese

Butterin' You Up

We are experiencing a number of consecutive grey, raining, cold days in the greater Central Indiana area. Those days always make me thinking of making soup.....even though my other half is Indiana's Soup Nazi (if you've had him for class, you know exactly what I mean). So much so that in our years together, I've only made soup for him three times EVER. Each time I experienced an extreme amount of anxiety as he took his first bite. (I do not understand Karen's anxiety, she is a wonderful chef (TE))

If you have some tough customers coming to your table, I highly recommend:

Oven Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

3-4 lbs. butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed to 1"
1 large onion, cubed to 1"
2 large McIntosh apples, cubed to 1"
2 T. olive oil
3-4 c. homemade chicken stock, warm

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place vegetables in a large bowl and toss with olive oil, salt and pepper until coated. Pour into a single layer on two sheet pans. Place sheet pans in oven, and bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven, and stir. Bake for another 20 minutes. Remove from pans and place in a large pot. Add 3c. chicken stock. Use a hand potato masher to mash together. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer. Add salt and pepper to taste. If you prefer a smooth consistency, you may use an immersion blender or transfer to a food processor and puree.