By Tosa Farmer’s Market
Ring in the season with cold-weather appetizers made from local, seasonal ingredients. Try these crowd-pleasers, selected by the Tosa Farmers Market.
Chipotle Rosemary Nuts
This sweet-and-salty combination is irresistible. Make sure to use Wisconsin maple syrup and fresh rosemary. Watch the nuts carefully so they don’t burn. Adapted from Ina Garten
Vegetable oil
3 cups whole roasted unsalted cashews (14 ounces)
2 cups whole walnut halves (7 ounces)
2 cups whole pecan halves (7 ounces)
1/2 cup whole almonds (3 ounces)
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
2 teaspoons ground chipotle powder
2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary leaves, plus more to taste 2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
Preheat oven to 350 F. Brush a sheet pan generously with vegetable oil. Combine remaining ingredients on sheet pan. Toss to coat the nuts evenly.
Spread the nuts in one layer. Roast for 18 to 25 minutes, stirring every 7 minutes or so, until the nuts are glazed and golden brown. Remove from oven and sprinkle with additional salt and rosemary, to taste. Toss well and set aside to cool, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
Ceasar Salad Deviled Eggs
This recipe combines two classic favorites — Caesar salad and deviled eggs. Farm-fresh eggs provide peak flavor, but they can be tough to peel. Don’t worry: You can hide any mistakes among the lettuce leaves. From Smitten Kitchen
6 large eggs
12 small romaine lettuce leaves
3 tablespoons mayo
2 teaspoons smooth Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 anchovy fillet, minced
1 small clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/4 cups panko bread crumbs
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese or more to taste
Place eggs in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Once water begins to boil, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer eggs for 10 minutes. Drain eggs and cover with cold water to chill. Carefully peel eggs and cut in half lengthwise. Remove yolks and place them in a small bowl.
Arrange 12 small lettuce leaves on a serving platter. Arrange egg whites on leaves. Mash egg yolks with the mayo, Dijon, Worcestershire, lemon juice and 1 tablespoon parsley until smooth. Season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Set the filling aside.
In a small skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add anchovy and garlic and cook, stirring, until the anchovy begins to dissolve into the oil, about 1 minute. Add lemon zest and bread crumbs and saute until golden, about 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in Parmesan and set crumbs aside.
When ready to serve, spoon yolk mixture into cavities of egg whites. Sprinkle each egg with about 1 teaspoon crumb mixture, allowing some to spill onto the lettuce cups. Garnish with remaining chopped parsley and serve.
Bacon Wrapped Dates w/ Almonds
This is the perfect salty-and-sweet finger food, especially when made with locally produced, flavor-packed bacon. Pile them high on your favorite platter, set a cup of toothpicks nearby, and watch them disappear. From Saveur.com
24 large dates, such as medjool
2 oz. softened goat cheese
12 slices bacon, cut in half crosswise
24 whole toasted unsalted almonds
Move oven rack to upper third of oven and preheat oven to 500 F. Pit dates, if necessary, tearing them open as little as possible. Set dates aside. Put the goat cheese into a pastry bag with a plain 1⁄4” tip or plastic bag with the end snipped.
Stuff cavity of each date with 1 almond. Pipe goat cheese into the opening of each stuffed date. Wrap 1 half-piece of bacon around width of each date and put dates, seam side down, on a baking sheet, at least 1⁄2″ apart. Bake until bacon is golden and crisp, 6-8 minutes. Set aside to cool briefly before serving.
Butternut Squash Tart with Fried Sage
This tart is bright, colorful and delicious. It’s a celebration of seasonal ingredients. From Bon Appetit
1 sheet of frozen puff pastry, thawed (from a 17.3-ounce package)
1 large egg beaten with 1 teaspoon water
12 1/8″-thick rounds peeled butternut squash
kosher salt
1/4 cup honey
1 thinly sliced Fresno, jalapeño, or red Thai chile 3 tablespoons olive oil
12 fresh sage leaves
1/4 cup shaved Parmesan black pepper
Preheat oven to 375 F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Gently roll out puff pastry on a lightly floured surface and transfer to prepared sheet.
Brush pastry with egg-water mixture. Arrange squash over pastry, overlapping as needed and leaving a 1/2-inch border. Place another sheet of parchment paper over squash. Set another large rimmed baking sheet over the tart. (This will weigh down the pastry dough and steam the squash slices.) Bake until bottom of pastry begins to brown and top begins to puff, about 10 minutes.
Remove top baking sheet and discard top sheet of parchment paper. Brush squash slices with 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with kosher salt. Return tart, uncovered, to oven and bake until pastry is deep golden brown and cooked through, 25–30 minutes longer. Meanwhile, combine honey, chile, and 2 tablespoons water in a small saucepan. Boil over medium heat until thickened slightly and syrupy, about 6 minutes.
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a small skillet until just beginning to smoke. Add sage; fry until crisp, about 30 seconds. Transfer to paper towels to drain.
Slice tart. Arrange Parmesan on top; drizzle with chile-infused honey. Garnish with fried sage leaves and a few grinds of black pepper.
Quick Pickled Carrots
A classic holiday relish tray is a great balance to end-of-year indulgences. Just skip the boring old raw broccoli and canned black olives. Choose beautiful farm-fresh vegetables, such as radishes in a range of colors. And always add something briny and zingy, like these quick pickled carrots. From The Kitchn
1 pound farmers’ market baby carrots
1 cup water, plus more for blanching the carrots
1 cup white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons honey, or to taste
1 bay leaf
1 garlic clove, smashed
1 teaspoon coriander seeds, toasted
1 teaspoon mustard seeds, toasted
Trim and peel carrots and cut them in half lengthwise. Bring a saucepan of water to a boil.
Add carrots and blanch until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Immediately drain and run under cold water. Transfer carrots to a bowl.
Combine 1 cup of water with vinegar, salt, honey, bay leaf, garlic, and mustard seeds in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and stir to dissolve the salt and honey. Pour over the carrots. Let cool to room temperature and then refrigerate in an airtight container for at least an hour. Tosa Farmer’s Market