Farm Pie

Adapted from Shepherd's Pie on foodnetwork.com

Much like shepherd's pie this is a meat base with a mashed potato top, but we have decreased the meat and added a bunch of veggies and increased the gravy type binder. Super good and very flexible. Feel free to swap whatever veggies or meat you would like for what is below. Just make sure that harder longer cooking veggies are added at the beginning with carrots and onions and softer quick cooking veggies are added at the end with the corn and peas.

For the potatoes

4 pounds potatoes (any variety you like)

1/2 cup half-and-half

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter

1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 egg yolk

For the meat filling

4 tablespoons canola oil

1 cup diced celery (or onion)

2 cups diced carrots

1 1/2 diced celery root or parsnip (or leave out and slightly increase the rest of the veggies)

1 lbs ground meat (we have used beef and pork, if you use chicken or turkey you will need to increase the oil a little)

1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

4 tablespoons GF flour blend

1 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 cups chicken broth

2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

2 teaspoons freshly chopped rosemary leaves

2 teaspoon freshly chopped thyme leaves

1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels

1 1/2 cup fresh or frozen English peas

1/2 cup cooked spinach

• Roughly chop potatoes and cook in well salted boiling water until soft enough to easily crush with tongs or spoon. Start checking after 10 minutes actual time will depend on how small you chop you potatoes and what variety you use.

• Warm half and half and butter in a microwave safe bowl for 45 seconds. It does not need to be all the way melted.

• Drain potatoes and return to pan. Mix in half and half, butter, salt and pepper and mash. Stir in the yolk until well combined.

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

• While the potatoes are cooking, prepare the filling. Place the canola oil into a 12-inch or larger saute pan and set over medium high heat. Once the oil shimmers, add the onion, celery, celeriac and carrots and saute until they begin to soften 5-7 minutes.

• Push the veggies to the outer edge of the pan and add the meat, salt and pepper and cook until browned and cooked through, approximately 3 minutes.

• Mix the veg back into the meat and sprinkle with the flour and toss to coat, continuing to cook for another minute.

• Add the tomato paste, chicken broth, Worcestershire, rosemary, thyme, and stir to combine. Cook stirring often for 5 to 10 minutes until the sauce is thickened slightly.

• Add the corn, peas and spinach to the mixture and spread evenly into a 9 by 13 by 2 inch glass baking dish.

• Top with the mashed potatoes, starting around the edges to create a seal to prevent the mixture from bubbling up and smooth with a rubber spatula.

• Place on a parchment lined half sheet pan on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 25 minutes or just until the potatoes begin to brown. Remove to a cooling rack for at least 15 minutes before serving.

Butternut Squash Gnocchi with Sage & Brown Butter (gf)

 Adapted from https://azestforlife.com/recipe/butternut-squash-gnocchi-its-gluten-free/

Ingredients

1 medium to large butternut squash, peeled and cubed.
2 teaspoons neutral oil
Fresh ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup ricotta cheese (I used goat chevre cause I always have it)
2 large eggs, I used pasture raised
1/4 tsp garlic powder
⅛ teaspoon nutmeg, grated fine
½ teaspoon sea salt
⅛ teaspoon black pepper
1  ½ gluten free flour blend might
½ cups Parmesan Reggiano cheese, grated fine (plus some shaved for the finished dish)
 

Finishing the Dish:
8 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons fresh sage cut into thin strips
Shavings of Parmesan Reggiano

Instructions
1

Roast the squash:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut the peeled squash in bite sized pieces
Add to a rimmed baking pan with oil, 4 cranks of black pepper and 1/2 teaspoon sea salt. Rub in to coat and spread out on the pan. Roast until cooked through, turning the squash once for 20 – 25 minutes until tender and cooked through but not browned. Set 1 cup out to cool. Place the rest in the turned off oven to stay warm.

2

Make Gnocchi Dough:
In a food processor add 1 cup cooled roasted squash – save the rest for the finished dish.
Add the next 6 ingredients: ricotta, eggs, garlic powder, nutmeg, sea salt and black pepper.
Process until smooth with a touch of texture from the squash.

3

Add the flour and parmesan and pulse in until just mixed in. Use a rubber spatula and scrape the sides, process until all is combined.
Remove the dough to a bowl. Use a knife and separate the dough into eight portions.

4

Dust your work surface with 1 teaspoon of flour and smooth out.
Add 1/8th of the dough and roll into a long thin log; about 16 inches long and 1/2 inch wide.
Use more flour if necessary so that it does not stick – but only use a little!

5

Cut the log into 1″ pieces – will be about 18 pieces. Don’t worry about how many you have, just make the size of the gnocchi consistent.

6

To shape: while holding the fork in one hand place gnocchi on the tines press down lightly on the back of the gnocchi and roll it down the tines. The result should be a little nugget with a dent on one side and fork marks on the other. Be very gentle.
Have 2 large trays ready dusted with some flour – Place all finished gnocchi as you shape on these trays.
Repeat until all 8 logs are cut and shaped.

7

To cook: cook in small batches so they have plenty of room to bob around without sticking to the sides or each other.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add gnocchi and stir gently.
The gnocchi will float to the top! A hint they are cooking. Let them cook a bit longer, stirring for 3-4 minutes.
Drain them in a colander in the sink and toss gentle with a small amount of oil.

8

Place gnocchi and cooked cubed squash in a large wide bowl with plenty of room to stir without squishing.

Browned Sage Butter to finish the dish:
 Heat 8 tablespoons of butter in a 12″ skillet. Cook over low heat until all the butter is melted. Raise heat to medium-high stirring and watching closely. The butter will foam up a few times and then start to brown. As soon as you see any browning toss in the sage and stir. Cook until the butter solids are browned then immediately pour over gnocchi & squash. Using a rubber spatula fold together gently until mixed.

Serve with parmesan to top of desired.

Date Pecan Cookies (GF) (in testing)

Adapted from https://www.letthemeatgfcake.com/gluten-free-oatmeal-raisin-cookies/

 

2 1/3 cups (330 g) Gluten free flour mix

1/2 cup (50 g) almond flour
1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 1/4 cups (275 g) butter, softened
1 1/3 cups (260 g) granulated sugar
1/3 cup (70 g) brown sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp almond extract
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1¾ cups (180 g) rolled oats
2 cups chopped dates (can sub 1/2 with dried apricots)
1 cup chopped pecans

 (Next time try reducing the sugar a bit, is a little too sweet)

Mix flour, almond flour, soda, salt and spices in a bowl.

 

In a mixer cream butter & sugars then mix in eggs one at a time and extracts mixing well.

Stir flour mix, oats and nuts into wet ingredients mixing well and scraping the bowl. Gently mix in dates by hand, don't be too vigorous as the dates are delicate.

Scoop using a large cookie scoop (about 2Tbsp) and freeze. 

Bake at 350 aproximately 15 minutes. Center should look done and edges should be lightly brown with a few light brown spots on top as well.

If you get it right they have a wonderful slight crunch to the edges and the middle has an almost fudgy texture. They look cakey but are far from it 😁

Homegrown Cornbread Waffles

Adapted from: https://smittenkitchen.com/2017/03/cornbread-waffles/
INGREDIENTS

    1 1/2 cup (200 grams) coarse yellow cornmeal
    1 1/2 cup (200 grams) Oat flour (you can make this in a food processor from rolled oats)
    2 teaspoons baking powder
    2 teaspoons baking soda
    1 teaspoon kosher salt
    2 tablespoons (30 ml) molasses (leave out if making savory waffles)
    2 1/2 cup (235 ml) buttermilk, well-shaken
    1/2 cup (110 grams) melted butter or neutral oil
    2 large eggs

INSTRUCTIONS

Mix all dry ingredients in a large bowl, make a well in the center and add all wet ingredients, whisk together well.

Cook using the medium to medium high setting in a Belgian waffle maker.