BETTE'S CHRISTMAS PEAR TORTE

Servings: 6 to 8 servings

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ cup sugar

3 egg yolks

½ cup cornstarch

1 cup flour

1¼ teaspoons baking powder

4 or more Christmas Pears to fill tart (depending on size), and sliced,

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

3 tablespoons sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, beat the butter, vanilla, ½ cup sugar and egg yolks. Add the corn starch, flour, and baking powder, beating until the batter is well mixed and has a dough like consistency.

Stir together and set aside the cinnamon and sugar. Place the mixture in a greased 8-inch square or 9-inch round baking pan, pressing the dough onto the bottom and sides of the pan. Top with the Christmas pears and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Bake for 1 hour.  This torte can also be made with your favorite choice of fruits.

***   To soften pear's cook sliced pears with a little water and sugar until soft. ***

Ingredients:
4 different varieties of mushroom; 

shiitake

 white caps

 oyster

 trumpet 

.2 tablespoons of olive oil.

1 tablespoon butter

1/2 cup dry white wine

Medium size red onion, chopped

1/2 teaspoon of Hungarian or smoked paprika

Teaspoon of dry oregano

Fresh parsley

Saute choice of 4 varieties of chopped mushrooms in 1 tablespoon of olive oil in iron skillet until lightly brown

 Remove from skillet.
Deglaze pan with 1/2 cup white wine and saute red onion in tablespoon olive oil and butter.

Add cooked mushrooms at higher heat, sea salt and pepper to taste

. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of paprika followed by oregano and chopped parsley

ENJOY!!!!!!!

This blueberry pie recipe is made with a pre baked crust, so you won't have to turn your oven on if making it on a hot summer day

3/4  cup white sugar

3  tablespoons cornstarch

 1 pinch salt

 1  cup water

 3  cups fresh blueberries.

 1  ( 9 inch)  pie crust baked

 1  additional cup of fresh blueberries

Step 1

Combine sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a saucepan. Stir in water, and 3 cups of blueberries. Cook and stir over medium heat until thick, 8-10 minutes.

Remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes. Stir in remaining 1 cup of blueberries.

Pour blueberries into baked pie shell. Cool in refrigerator for 2 to 4 hours before serving. 

If you use frozen blueberries, drain them and use the juice instead of the water in Step 1.

Strawberry Rhubarb Bars

Crust:

1 1/2 Cups quick cooking rolled oats

1 Cup flour

1/2 Cup sugar

3/4 Cup Butter (12 Tablespoons)

Filling:

1 1/2 Cup chopped Rhubarb

1/4 Cup sugar

1/4 Cup water

2 Cups chopped Strawberries

Preheat oven to 350 F

Butter 8 X 8 X 2 Glass dish

Stir together oats, flour and sugar.

Cut in butter using fork or pastry

blender

Mix until crumbs form

Set aside 2 Cups for topping

Press remaining crumb mixture into

bottom of pan. Bake for 20 minutes

**allow to completely cool**

~DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP~

In a saucepan combine

rhubarb, sugar and water

Cook and stir for 8 to 10 minutes

~until thickened and bubbly~

Stir in chopped strawberries

Pour over cooled baked crust

Sprinkle reserved crumbs evenly

over top, press down lightly on crumbs

Bake for 30 - 35 minutes or

until top is golden brown and

filling is bubbly.

Recipe available to print at www.farmsview.com

Artichokes

 4 medium-sized artichokes

 2 cups breadcrumbs

 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

 1 tablespoon garlic powder

 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted

 ¼ cup water

3/4 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons parsley flakes  

Rinse the artichokes well, remove the small outer leaves from the bottom row around artichoke, cut off the stem and slice about 1 inch off of the top

. In a large bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, and pepper.

 Add the melted butter, water and oil and mix well.

  If needed, add more water or oil to make stuffing very moist

Turn the artichokes upside down and press firmly to spread the leaves

. Turn right side up and stand the artichokes in a large pot with about 1 ½ inches of water in the bottom. Cover and steam over medium-high heat about 20-25 minutes or until the artichokes are tender, checking the water level occasionally and adding more water as needed.

  Stuff the breadcrumb mixture into the center and inside surrounding layers of leaves

.  Put onto microwavable plate and microwave for approximately 3-4 minutes or before serving put into pan covered tightly with foil and place in 350° oven for approximately 20 minutes 

Chef Bob’s Iron Skillet Eggplant Bucatini Amatriciana with Mushrooms

Dr. Robert Doidge

Yield: 6-8 hungry people

8oz Pancetta

1 medium red onion (chopped)

1 cup shitake mushrooms

1 cup button mushrooms

1 cup oyster mushrooms

1/2 cup dry white wine

Put pancetta in skillet and brown in pan and remove, cook red onion and cook mushrooms in pan with

pinch red pepper flakes to taste -some like it hot! and after cooked remove and deglaze with dry white

wine. Add marinara to this base (whatever your favorite one is!). I make my own with San Marzano

tomatoes, oil and garlic sautéed lightly and simmer for 15-20 minutes.

Cut ends off eggplant and peel every other row (skin adds fiber and texture) slice and put on rack and

salt for 25 minutes and wipe salt off and press down with cloth towel to remove excess water.

Canola Oil

EVO Olive Oil

Seasoned Panko Breadcrumbs

4 Eggs & water = egg wash

All-purpose flour

5 Large eggplants (I like to mix purple and white-whatever is available at your local green grocer)

Heat Canola oil and EVO olive oil in frying pan

Eggs wash -4 eggs and splash of cold water

Panko breadcrumbs (seasoned)

Take eggplant slice, dip in flour, egg wash and then press seasoned Panko breadcrumbs onto eggplant

(make sure they are coated evenly and well).

Fry eggplant slices until golden brown

Let settle on paper towels in layers to drain any excess oil

In a large Iron skillet – coat pan with thin film of oil and light layer of sauce followed by freshly grated

parmesan cheese to give pseudo crust , layer the eggplant followed by sauce, parmesan and mozzarella –

either grated or thin slices if using fresh mozzarella, continue to do another layer with same 3

ingredients.

Put in oven at 375 degrees for approximately 20 minutes or until cheese is bubbly!

Serve to friends and family with loaf of fresh Italian bread and good wine, good music and laughter!

Iachetti’s Kitchen

John Iachetti

Owner and Chef

Roast Cauliflower and Verry Veggie Flatbread- serves one

For this recipe you can use pizza dough or pizza shells

1 ea.  6 ounce pizza doughs- floured and rolled out to ¼ thickness

or 1 ea - 8 inch pizza shell-(store bought)

¼ . Head Cauliflower (-hard and white)-Un wrapped-

2 oz. olive oil

1 oz Italian parsley-chopped

1 oz garlic- chopped fine

1 ea whole lemon( cut in half, pitted) squeeze juice and reserve

 Pinch salt and black pepper

2 oz- roasted cauliflower

2 oz –pizza sauce- use tomato sauce as well

1oz-   broccoli raab- sautéed until soft (can also use spinach )

1 oz- artichokes- quartered – seasoned touch salt and pepper

1 oz- carrots-diced - sautéed until soft

5 ea pear or cherry tomatoes- cut in half

2  oz- Fresh Mozzarella- cut into 3 slices-approximately  1/8 inch thick

Method

Pre heat oven to 450 degrees for 15 minutes-LEAVE OVEN ON-

Olive Oil Slurry

In small bowl combine Olive oil, parsley, garlic, lemon juice and salt/pepper- Whisk with small whip being certain to incorporate all ingredients

On baking sheet place cauliflower head up- Brush cauliflower generously with olive oil marinade- Once covered place in preheated oven for about 30-40 minutes or until cauliflower is brown and soft- Remove and Cool- Once cool – Remove core and break cauliflower apart –RESERVE  REMAINING OLIVE OIL SLURRY

Flatbread

Place pizza crust on pizza paddle or on  pizza pan-

 Spread pizza sauce evenly on crust-

 Simply place Broccoli Raab, carrots and artichokes around flatbread shell

 Next place Roasted cauliflower throughout the shell covering other vegetables

Add mozzarella - Finish the flatbread  with the sliced tomatoes

Place in 450 degree oven for 10-12 minutes until crust is crispy and cheese melts

Remove flatbread and place on cutting board- Brush flatbreads crust with olive oil slurry

Let cool for 2-3 minutes -With pizza cutter or sharp knife cut flatbread into 8 even pieces and ENJOY!!

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound broccoli rabe 
• 1 small onion, diced 
• 3 garlic clove, diced 
• 1/2  pound sausage, no casing 
• pound ricotta cheese (whole milk) 
• 1/2  cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 3  tablespoons grated cheese 
• 1 egg
• 2 pie crusts for bottom and top
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 Tsp olive oil 
• 
  

Sauté garlic and oil until lightly browned and add broccoli rabe; sauté until tender. Strain the broccoli rabe and garlic mixture to remove the excess liquid. Chop the mixture finely, and set aside for later use. Cook the sausage meat and the diced onions until the mixture is fully cooked.  Drain the sausage mixture of any excess liquid.  Make sure the sausage and onion mixture is chopped, without any large pieces of meat. Add sausage mixture to the broccoli rabe mixture.  Blend well.  Next, add the ricotta, mozzarella, grated cheese and egg.   Stir until mixed well.  Add broccoli rabe and sausage mixture to the pie crust, and distribute evenly.  Add pie crust over the top.  Cut a vent hole in the center of the pie. Pinch the edges of the two crusts together. Brush the top of the pie and the edges with a beaten egg yolk.    Place pie on a cookie sheet, and bake at 375° for 45 minutes to an hour, or until golden brown. Let it sit for 5 minutes before serving  

THANK YOU SCHEMBRI FAMILY FOR THIS RECIPE