White Cheddar Gougeres Apple Pulp Prosciutto And Sage Food

ROASTED PUMPKIN WITH QUINOA, DATES AND SAGE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Cut the pumpkin into about 3-inch chunks and arrange on a rimmed baking sheet skin-side down. Drizzle the pumpkin pieces with olive oil and give them a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Roast the pumpkin until soft, about 1 hour. Once it is cool enough to handle, peel off and discard the skin, and place the roasted pumpkin flesh in a bowl.
• Meanwhile, place a large dry skillet over medium heat and add the quinoa. Toast for 5 to 10 minutes or until the quinoa releases a beautiful toasty aroma. Add 3 cups of water and 1 tablespoon salt; cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer the quinoa until all the water has been absorbed, about 25 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside, covered; the steam will finish cooking the quinoa.
• Once the quinoa has cooled a bit, add it to the bowl with the roasted pumpkin along with the dates, torn sage leaves and 1/4 cup olive oil. Toss gently to combine. Season with more salt and pepper. Serve at room temperature.

ARTICHOKES WITH PORK SAUSAGE, LEMON AND SAGE

Steps:

• First thing to do is to steam the artichokes in a flavorful broth. Put the parsley, garlic, bay leaves, wine, and 1 of the halved lemons in a wide pot. Add 2 quarts of water and bring to a simmer. Season the broth with salt and pepper.
• While that's coming to a simmer, wash the artichokes under cold water. Then, using a paring knife, trim the bottom end of each stem and shave the stem down to expose the tender, light green flesh underneath. Snap or cut off the outer petals until you reach the soft, pale green leaves in the center. Slice off about 1 inch from the top of the artichoke with a large knife. Do the same to prepare the rest of the artichokes.
• Slide the artichokes into the simmering broth. Then cover the pan and simmer over medium-low heat for about 20 minutes, until there is no resistance when a knife is inserted into the base of each artichoke. Remove the artichokes from the poaching liquid with tongs. Using a spoon, carefully scoop out the hairy choke from the center of each and discard. Try and keep the artichoke halves intact as best you can; it looks great for presentation.
• Put a large, deep skillet over medium heat and cover the bottom with a 2-count of oil. When the oil is smoking hot, add the sausage and cook for 7 to 10 minutes until cooked through. Take them out of the pan and set them aside. Add a drizzle of oil to the pan. Add the sage leaves and cook 2 to 3 minutes to infuse the oil with their flavor. Add the shallots, garlic, and lemon slices and cook 2 minutes. Then add the stock to the pan, bring to a simmer and simmer until reduced and thickened. Swirl in the butter to emulsify, and a drizzle of olive oil. Return the artichokes to the pan and cook over low heat for a few minutes to warm up them up. Spoon the artichokes out onto plates and serve with the sausage.

WHITE BEANS WITH PANCETTA AND SAGE

Steps:

• Put the dried beans in a large bowl and cover with cold water. Soak the beans overnight in the refrigerator.
• Drain the soaked beans, place them in a large pot and cover with fresh cold water. Put the beans over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Toss in the bay leaves and garlic. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 11/2 hours until tender. Drain the cooked beans and spread them out on a sheet pan to cool slightly.
• Put about 1/2 cup of flour in a shallow platter and season it with salt and pepper; mix with a fork to distribute evenly. Toss the beans in the seasoned flour to coat completely.
• Place a large skillet over medium-high heat and coat with the oil. When the oil is hot, add the pancetta, fry for a couple of minutes to crisp it up. Toss in the sage leaves and fry for about 1 minute. Remove the pancetta and sage to some paper towels; now you have a flavor base. Shake off excess flour from the beans and put them in the pan in a single layer. Fry the beans for a good 10 minutes to form a golden crust on the outside of the beans, tossing to cook both sides.
• Return the pancetta and fried sage to the pan, stir everything together, and serve.

CHEDDAR CHEESE GOUGERES WITH BACON

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
• In a medium saucepan, add 1 cup water, the butter and salt, and bring to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat to medium and add the flour all at once. Stir rapidly with a wooden spoon; the mixture will form a dough ball that will pull away from the sides of the pan. Continue to cook for a couple minutes.
• Remove the pan from the heat and let cool for a couple of minutes. Stir so that the dough cools more evenly; you want the dough to be warm, but not so hot that when you start adding the eggs they cook as they hit the dough. In a mixer or by hand with a wooden spoon, add the eggs one at a time, stirring after each addition until the eggs are incorporated. The dough should become rather creamy. Stir in the grated cheese, bacon, thyme and a few grinds of pepper.
• Spoon out small balls (about a heaping tablespoon) of the dough onto the baking sheet, with at least an inch separating the spoonfuls. Cook for 10 minutes; lower the heat to 350 degrees F and cook until puffed up and lightly golden, another 15 to 20 minutes.