Food – Page 39

Peach salad with bourbon vinaigrette

Fall in New Hampshire quite often includes a visit to an orchard. While most people may think about apples, there also are peaches available at many orchards. Why not make peaches a part of your fall cooking? This week I want to take a break from weekend snacks and share a healthier, but just as delicious, recipe.

This peach salad is meant to be served as a side dish, but it could be turned into an entrée with the addition of a protein. A chicken breast, a boneless pork chop or some shrimp could make this a fairly hearty meal.

This salad is pretty simple, which means that the ingredients are key. I opt for arugula in this salad to provide some bitterness and to balance the sweetness of the peaches. Of course, almost any green would work in a pinch. For the peach, you want optimal ripeness. Not overly ripe and mushy and not underripe and tart; you want the moment-of-perfection sort of peach. For the dressing, a good bourbon is key. One third of the flavor comes from the bourbon, so use one that you’d drink without a mixer. If you would rather not have bourbon in your dressing, you can increase the vinegar to 2 tablespoons and the maple syrup to 1 1/2 tablespoons.

While this salad highlights fresh fall fruit; it also is a bright reminder of warm and sunny days. Enjoy this salad now while the peaches are fresh and there is still some warmth in the air.

Peach salad with bourbon vinaigrette
Serves 2

2 cups arugula
1 peach
¼ cup whole pecans
1½ Tablespoons cider vinegar
1 Tablespoon good bourbon
1 Tablespoon maple syrup
Salt & pepper

Divide arugula between two salad plates.
Dice peach into half-inch cubes; sprinkle over arugula.
Chop pecans; add to salad.
In a small bowl, combine vinegar, bourbon and maple syrup; whisk well.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Divide vinaigrette between the two salads, and serve.

Featured Photo: Peach salad with bourbon vinaigrette. Photo courtesy of Michele Pesula Kuegler.

In the kitchen with Emilee Viaud

Emilee Viaud of Milford is the owner of Sweet Treats by Emilee (sweettreatsbyemilee@gmail.com, and on Facebook and Instagram @sweettreatsbyemilee_), specializing in cakes, decorative cookies, doughnuts, scones, croissants and a variety of handcrafted chocolate items. She started the business in October 2020 at the height of the hot cocoa bomb trend, soon becoming a regular vendor at the Manchester Craft Market inside the Mall of New Hampshire (1500 S. Willow St., Manchester) and branching out to all kinds of bomb flavors, from milk, dark and white chocolate to salted caramel, cookies and cream and peanut butter. She now has a whole lineup of sweet treats stocked there, as well as at Junction 71 (707 Milford Road, Merrimack) — items include chocolate-covered Oreos, chocolate-covered pretzel rods, Rice Krispie treats and jumbo peanut butter cups. Viaud also sells an assortment of fresh baked goods at the Milford Farmers Market (300 Elm St.) on Saturdays, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., from doughnuts and croissants to scones, cupcakes and rotating flavors of hand pies. The final outdoor date of the market is Oct. 8 before it moves indoors at the Town Hall Auditorium starting next month. Viaud’s first participating date of the indoor market will be Nov. 19.

What is your must-have kitchen item?

The utensil that I use the most is definitely a whisk.

What would you have for your last meal?

I grew up eating a lot of pasta with meatballs and garlic bread. That’s kind of always been like a childhood meal that I enjoy.

What is your favorite local restaurant?

Revival [Kitchen & Bar in Concord] because, of course, it’s farm-to-table and their menu changes seasonally. One thing that always stays consistent is their meat and cheese platter, and so I’ll always go for that as an appetizer.

What celebrity would you like to see trying something you’ve made?

I would choose a lot of people, but I kind of lean toward Duff Goldman, just because I watched a lot of his shows growing up. … I really like him specifically because he’s more on the decorating side, and that’s what I enjoy the most out of baking. So, I know that he would give me an honest opinion on whether he liked it or not.

What is your favorite item that you offer?

I would say probably the doughnuts, because I have not been doing them for a long time. I’m honestly still learning — I’ve changed the recipe multiple times ever since making them, so it’s something that kind of challenges me a little bit, and I also get to change the flavors seasonally.

What is the biggest food trend in New Hampshire right now?

I was thinking, maybe, like cultural food. … You’re starting to see, I guess more on the side of pop-ups, more restaurants displaying their heritage and their food.

What is your favorite thing to make at home?

Something that I always try to do is fresh bread … because I feel like it really completes a meal. I just love fresh bread and butter — there’s nothing better.

Brown butter Rice Krispie treats
From the kitchen of Emilee Viaud of Sweet Treats by Emilee (makes a 9-by-13-inch pan)

1½ sticks butter
2 10-ounce bags mini marshmallows, plus 1 cup
12 cups Rice Krispies cereal

Place the butter in a pot. Let it melt until bubbles form on the top, then start stirring, lifting the browned butter from the bottom of the pan. Once the butter has burned brown, add the two bags of marshmallows. Once the marshmallows are melted, add your cereal. Mix until fully coated, then add an extra cup of marshmallows for extra gooey treats.

Featured photo: Emilee Viaud. Courtesy photo.

Ready, set, cook

MasterChef Junior Live tour comes to Concord

Former contestants of the hit Fox cooking competition series MasterChef Junior hit the road last month for the “MasterChef Junior Live” tour, an interactive show packed with cooking demonstrations, unique challenges and audience participation throughout. Locally, MasterChef Junior Live will make a stop at the Capitol Center for the Arts in Concord on Thursday, Oct. 13.

Season 8 of MasterChef Junior premiered on Fox in March and concluded on June 23, but it was actually filmed back in 2019, prior to the pandemic. Each week young chefs between the ages of 8 and 13 from across the country perform in a number of challenges and present their own prepared dishes to celebrity judges Gordon Ramsay, Aarón Sánchez and Daphne Oz.

The Oct. 13 show in Concord will feature live appearances from Season 8 winner Liya Chu of Scarsdale, New York, who was just 10 years old at the time of the show’s filming, as well as runner-up Grayson Price and fan favorites Molly Leighninger and A’Dan Lisaula.

“The fun part of our show … is that we end up with about 10 people that we randomly choose from the audience that can come onstage and taste the actual food they cook,” tour manager Marti Ramirez said. “People get to be tasters and they judge the appetizer part, and then we have four people that are volunteers, also from the audience, that are sous chefs. … At the end, kids get to come up on stage and help decorate the dessert part of our show, which is cupcakes.”

Chu, now 14 years old, recently spoke with the Hippo via phone about her experience being on MasterChef Junior, as well as what attendees can expect ahead of the Concord show.

Can you tell us about your cooking background and interest in cooking at such a young age?

I started cooking around 5 years old. … My first dish was making dumplings, and it’s kind of a family tradition, since my mom learned how to make them from her mom, and her mom learned it from her mom. So it has kind of been passed down through many generations. … My parents own two restaurants, so I’ve kind of been involved in the restaurant life since I was young. … One restaurant is in Bronxville, New York, and it’s called Dumpling + Noodle, and then the other one is called Fantasy Cuisine and it’s in Hartsdale, New York.

What was the audition process like for getting on MasterChef Junior?

My friend was actually on Season 7, so that was when … I was like, ‘Oh wait, I could go on the show as well.’ … [The audition] started around, like, February [2019] or so, and then it was back and forth for two months of Zoom interviews. Sometimes they’d ask you to cut red peppers or onions or, like, cook an egg 20 different ways. … After those two months, many of us … wondered if we were even still in the audition, because they wouldn’t answer us for like two or three weeks. … Then, May 20 was when they confirmed and we flew all the way to L.A., but at that time it was still [in the] Top 50, and then they started to cut it down to the Top 16 and then the Top 10, the Top Five and then that whole process was another two months. … [The show’s airing] got delayed many times, so after a while, since it was three years, it kind of felt like it was a dream.

Do you remember which dishes you made while on the show? What was the most challenging dish that you prepared for the judges?

Yeah, I do remember a lot of the dishes, because they are all really important to me. Every dish I made was something that … represents my family, my background and what I’ve learned since I was young. … I think the hardest dish was either the sweet bread or the eel dish, or maybe the duck dish that I made last. … Duck is a pretty hard dish to cook, because you have to time it just right in order to get it medium rare. The eel was also hard because it was my first time cooking on the show, and I was really nervous that time.

What is Gordon Ramsay like in person?

Gordon is a very tall man. I mean, of course, we were all very tiny at that time. But he was really nice to us. Of course, he would get mad at us sometimes, but when he did, I think [it was] because he was only trying to teach us and trying to get us to push ourselves. … I was definitely nervous to see what he was like, but he was really nice. He wasn’t mean.

What was your personal favorite thing that you made on the show?

It was definitely my semi-finale dish, which were the dumplings. … When I was around 5 years old, my mom every weekend or every two weekends or so, she’d cook dumplings for my brother and me. … I remember I would run around the house and I would always try to peek around the corner and say, ‘Hey, Mom, can I help you out?’ But it would never work out well because [the dumplings] would always just flop over or they wouldn’t even close. … My mom would still teach me. She never said, ‘Oh, Liya, you’re too young,’ or anything. … She still always tries to help me improve.

Tell us about the MasterChef Junior Live tour. Will the challenges be happening in real time?

Yeah, so it’s kind of like being in the show, in a way, just actually seeing it front and center and being part of it. … We’re cooking on stage, and so yeah, it’s all happening in real time. We don’t know who’s winning, because it’s the audience who is doing the judging. It’s more about just having fun and letting the audience be able to experience it. … It’s definitely fun and family-friendly, and something that I would encourage everyone to come watch.

What’s next for you? Is cooking something you think you’d want to pursue as a career?

I’m very interested in art and being creative, and cooking is definitely a type of art form, for sure. … I don’t really know what I want to do yet, of course, I still have a lot of time to think of what I want to do. But yeah, definitely art and maybe even culinary will be part of my future.

MasterChef Junior Live
When: Thursday, Oct. 13, 7 p.m. (doors open at 6 p.m.)
Where: Capitol Center for the Arts, 44 S. Main St., Concord
Cost: Ranges from $23.25 to $58.25. Optional VIP add-ons are $75 and include a pre-show Q&A, meet-and-greet with photo opportunities and a signed poster.
Visit: mastercheflivetour.com

Featured photo: Liya Chu. Courtesy photo.

The Weekly Dish 22/10/06

News from the local food scene

• Market updates: Farmers markets in Milford and New Boston are each expected to wrap up their outdoor seasons this Saturday, Oct. 8 — in Milford, the final outdoor date at 300 Elm St. (across from the New Hampshire Antique Co-op) will be from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., before it returns indoors inside the Town Hall Auditorium (1 Union Square) every other Saturday beginning early next month. New Boston’s market, meanwhile, also holds its final market from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. the same day on the corner of Route 13 and Meetinghouse Hill Road. Other markets across the Granite State, including in Bedford, Concord, Henniker and Pelham, each still have a few more weekends to go before they wrap up by the end of October.

• Bring on the doughnuts: The New Hampshire Doughnut Co. is now open at 410 S. River Road in Bedford, the company’s third location overall. The custom doughnut shop opened its first location on Route 4 in Chichester in August 2019 before a second location arrived in the former space of the Capital Deli in Concord the following year. Cake doughnuts baked fresh daily are the stars of the menu, with regular flavors that include vanilla, chocolate, apple cider and several gluten-free and dairy-free options, as well as rotating specialty-themed doughnut weeks. Owner Amanda Baril told the Hippo last month that the new Bedford location is expanding New Hampshire Doughnut Co.’s offerings into yeast ring doughnuts, filled doughnuts, fritters and French crullers. Visit them Wednesday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Sunday, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Visit nhdoughnutco.com.

• Forage around: Join the Brookline Public Library (16 Main St.) for Foraging New England, a special presentation on Wednesday, Oct. 12, from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m., featuring Russ Cohen, expert forager and author of Wild Plants I Have Known … and Eaten. The 60-minute slideshow will include images and information about at least two dozen species of native edible plants suitable for adding to your own landscape. Cohen will cover the many keys to the identification of each species, along with their edible portions, seasons of availability and preparation methods, as well as foraging guidelines that are safe and environmentally responsible. Printed handouts and some samples of foraged goodies will be provided. Register online at brooklinelibrarynh.org.

• Turkeys and trains: The Hobo & Winnipesaukee Scenic Railroad is partnering with Hart’s Turkey Farm in Meredith to offer turkey dinner train rides — the next one is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 8, with two more to follow on Oct. 15 and Oct. 22. The trains depart Meredith Station (154 Main St.) at 5 p.m., traveling south along the western shore of Lake Winnipesaukee through Weirs Beach and Paugus Bay toward Lakeport and back along the same route, returning at around 7 p.m. Riders will be treated to a complete dinner catered by Hart’s Turkey Farm, featuring freshly carved roast turkey, stuffing, whipped potato, butternut squash, gravy, rolls and butter and apple crisp for dessert. The cost is $47.50 per person and advance reservations are required. Visit hoborr.com.

Give in to pumpkin spice

Long, long ago, when I was a child in the Late Cretaceous, late September was one of the low-key best times of the year. That’s when the new cartoons premiered on Saturday mornings. I’m at the age when strong feelings of joy and anticipation are largely a pale memory, but at the time, the prospect of new episodes of Jonny Quest filled my world with a sparkle and wonder that I miss dearly.

For adults, weeks crawl by, seasons bleed unremarked into each other, and the next thing you know, you’re having earnest conversations with strangers about dental plans and snow tires.

So — what to do about it?

Another fall has rotated into place. Perhaps, the key to being more alive and in-the-moment might be to look to the past and do what our ancestors did to mark the change of seasons.

The ancient Celts believed that grain spirits were trapped in the last grain to be harvested and needed to be set free, so they would weave the stalks of the last of their harvests into a Wicker Man, then symbolically burn that and scatter the ashes across their fields.

My fear of confrontation is such that I think I’d have trouble murdering even a piece of glorified deck furniture.

Perhaps the best plan is to lean into our own fall tradition — Pumpkin Spice.

Pumpkin Spice Simple Syrup

7 grams whole cinnamon sticks, broken
5 grams fresh ginger, chopped
3 grams allspice berries
3 grams whole cloves
5 grams whole nutmeg
1 cup/200 grams sugar
1 cup/225 gram (ml) water

Lightly crush the allspice, nutmeg and cloves in a mortar and pestle. You might want to start with the nutmeg, because it is probably in one big chunk. You’re not trying to grind these spices down to powder, just to crack them all open to allow more surface area contact with the boiling syrup.

Put all ingredients into a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Let the mixture boil for 15 to 20 seconds to make sure that the sugar is completely dissolved.

Set aside and allow to steep for an hour.

Strain with a fine-meshed strainer, then filter with a coffee filter to take out all the bits of spices.

Bottle and label. Store in your refrigerator.

Because this recipe measures the spices by mass, not by volume, theoretically, it should work just as well with ground spices, but the end result will probably be a cloudier syrup.

An easy cocktail to make with this:

[Your Name] Special

¾ oz. pumpkin spice syrup (see above)
2 oz. applejack
¾ oz. fresh squeezed lemon juice

cocktail in martini glass surrounded by ingredients — [Your Name] Special. Photo by John Fladd.

Shake over ice.

Pour into a coupé glass.

Drink with a glad heart, full of good will.

Is this a glorified daiquiri? Possibly.

A brandy sour? Well, yes, that, too.

Lemon juice and simple syrup are a classic combination, because the lemon brings a bright acidity, without too much baggage, flavor-wise. In this case, the heavy lifting is done by the pumpkin-spice syrup, which reminds you of hay rides and stuff, while the applejack, an apple brandy, gives the whole enterprise some boozy authority.

This is one of those drinks that you can make for a friend, and when they sip it and ask what it is, you can call it a “[Their Name] Special.” When they ask what’s in it, you reply, “Trust.”

Then you sit on the deck together and make fun of the squirrels.

Featured photo. Pumpkin Spice Simple Syrup. Photo by John Fladd.

Quick and spicy pineapple jam

Happy fall! Not only is it the return of cooler weather, it is also the return of me wanting to spend time in the kitchen cooking and baking. Yes, I do cook all year long, but once the temperatures drop, even just a little bit, I’m more excited to work with my oven and stove.

Today’s recipe is incredibly simple and makes a delicious accompaniment to a snack menu.

You may wonder why I didn’t just buy jam. I have two good reasons. First, when I make the jam I can control the amount of sugar in it, so it isn’t overly sweet. Second, I can add additional flavors, such as a bit of spice.

Let’s look at the ingredients. I use light brown sugar, as I like its flavoring. You can use dark brown, but it will add more of a caramel note. For the onion, I think sweet onion really is the best, but in a pinch you could use yellow. I wouldn’t substitute red onion; it has too much bite. The pineapple needs to be fresh, not canned. Canned pineapple has too much moisture. Finally, if you like heat, you definitely can double the amount of chili powder or add a little hot sauce to the final product.

Once the jam is ready, it makes a great addition to your snack time. You can serve it with some cheddar cheese or manchego and crackers. It makes an interesting dip for chicken tenders. It also could be a delicious topping for savory cheesecake. It definitely is a fun condiment to have on hand.

Quick and spicy pineapple jam
Makes 24

⅓ cup cider vinegar
¼ cup light brown sugar
2 Tablespoons finely minced sweet onion
1½ cups diced pineapple
½ teaspoon chili powder

Combine vinegar and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat.
Stir occasionally until sugar dissolves.
Add onion and simmer for 3 minutes.
Add pineapple and chili powder; bring to a boil.
Lower heat and simmer, stirring occasionally for 40 minutes.
Allow to cool slightly
Then transfer to a serving dish and refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.

Featured Photo: Quick and spicy pineapple jam. Photo by Michele Pesula Kuelger.

In the kitchen with Rocky Burpee

George “Rocky” Burpee of Loudon is the owner of Shaker Road Provisions (89 Fort Eddy Road, Suite 2, Concord, shakerroadprovisions.com), which opened April 16 in the former Smokeshow Barbeque space. Scratch-made bacon is the heart of the operation at the shop, which offers everything from flavored slices and bits to all kinds of bacon-incorporated prepared foods, like burgers, macaroni and cheese and even bacon chocolate bars. Shaker Road Provisions regularly sells its bacon at the Concord Farmers Market on Saturdays, from 8:30 a.m. to noon, and at the Salem Farmers Market on Sundays, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. — both markets will continue to run outdoors through the end of October. The shop also carries a selection of various locally sourced products, and recently received approval to sell its bacon to restaurants.

What is your must-have kitchen item?

The most important thing to me, for bacon specifically, is my slicer. I spent the money on a really nice slicer and it’s made all the difference from when I first started.

What would you have for your last meal?

I’d have to say … a surf and turf. Just an amazing aged rib-eye and a nice fat lobster tail, or something like that.

What is your favorite local restaurant?

Without a doubt, Industry East [in Manchester]. [Chef] Jeff Martin is a genius, especially with what he has to work with in that kitchen. And, [owners] Jeremy [Hart] and Dan [Haggerty] are just amazing guys. … My wife and I, we try to go there at least a couple times a month. … I always try to get the specials, but you can’t go wrong with the Goon Glizzy, their crab rangoon hot dog, and also the steak and cheese tacos.

What celebrity would you like to see trying your bacon?

I’m a die-hard Gordon Ramsay fan, but I also know that he doesn’t pull any punches, so I’d be really nervous for him to try it. … The only other person that comes to mind immediately would be Alton Brown. He taught me a lot when his show came out, just because he’s so analytical and the way he breaks things down is great.

What is your favorite thing you make that incorporates your bacon?

I think the bacon burgers are just out of this world … and you also can’t go wrong with our sweet and spicy bacon bits in a scrambled egg dish. They are just fantastic. That was actually my wife’s idea.

What is the biggest food trend in New Hampshire right now?

The trend is not to be trendy. It’s innovation and it’s trying new things. It’s like, more [about] who can outdo the next person and who can get crazy and put stuff together that hasn’t been put together before.

What is your favorite thing to cook at home?

I love prime rib. My prime rib is slathered in my bacon fat, covered in my spice mix and then I sous vide it for 10 hours. … Serve that with a side of potatoes any way you like it, and it’s just like upscale meat and potatoes.

Baked potato soup with bacon
From the kitchen of George “Rocky” Burpee of Shaker Road Provisions in Concord

1½ pounds baked potatoes
½ cup flour
6 cups milk
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 bunch green onions, chopped
6 to 8 ounces Shaker Road Provisions bacon (maple or peppered), cooked and roughly chopped (substitute sweet and spicy bacon bits for an extra punch of flavor)
Salt and pepper to taste

Bake potatoes in a 400-degree oven for one hour or until fork tender. Once cool, peel and cut into small chunks, or lightly mash. While the potatoes cool, in a large Dutch oven over medium heat, add the flour and slowly stir in the milk, whisking continuously until the flour is fully incorporated. Continue stirring often until the milk is bubbling and thickened (about 10 minutes). Add the potatoes to the pot and blend with an immersion blender, or transfer to a blender in batches and blend until smooth. If you prefer more texture, you can also fully mash the potatoes prior to adding them to the milk and skip blending them. Return the blended soup to low heat. Add the cheese, sour cream, green onion and bacon or bacon bits (reserve some bacon for a garnish if you want to make it look extra pretty). Season to taste with salt and fresh cracked black pepper. (Optional: As a gluten-free option, use 4 cups of milk and skip the flour).

Featured photo: George “Rocky” Burpee, owner of Shaker Road Provisions in Concord. Courtesy photo.

Cooking with magic

Cucina Aurora owner releases new recipe book

By Mya Blanchard

listings@hippopress.com

Everybody needs food to survive — this commonality connects all of us as human beings, and is a sentiment at the core of local chef Dawn Hunt’s new book Kitchen Witchcraft for Beginners: Spells, Recipes, and Rituals to Bring Your Practice Into the Kitchen.

Released Sept. 27, the book chronicles various methods of harvesting and cultivating love, connection and relationships through food. It’s the latest project for Hunt, the owner and founder of Cucina Aurora Kitchen Witchery, which offers a line of products like infused olive oils and risotto mixes.

Originally from New York, Hunt grew up in a traditional Italian family where, she said, “food is our religion.” As she has food allergies, Hunt began to look for ways to cook for herself that didn’t compromise flavor. Eventually her cooking spread beyond her own personal table, as she started selling at farmers markets and teaching classes about the principles of cooking with good intentions. This, she said, is what it means to be a self-proclaimed “kitchen witch.”

“For me, it’s about cooking with love, putting positive energy into the food and doing my cooking, my shopping, [using] my resources and purchasing foods intentionally,” she said, adding that it is this focus on intention that is at the core of witchcraft.

During her days of traveling to various farmers markets, Hunt found support in New England.

illustrated cover for recipe book — *Kitchen Witchcraft for Beginners* is out now.

“My experience was that in New England people really got what I was doing, [and] they understood,” she said.

She found that she was embraced by the people in New Hampshire, a place where she had always wanted to live.

“The way the community … embraced this idea of cooking with love and [being] really intentional with what you’re eating and creating in the kitchen … was really unique for me to find,” Hunt said. “It wasn’t that experience in New York.”

A year after moving to New Hampshire in 2010, Hunt quit her job and decided to work on Cucina Aurora full-time. The company has been in Salem since 2012.

Hunt started working on her new book after being scouted out by the publisher, who was looking for someone to write about the basics of putting love and intention into one’s food. Unlike her previous book, 2020’s A Kitchen Witch’s Guide to Recipes for Love & Romance, which focuses on aphrodisiac food, this book provides more basic knowledge about the ingredients and tools used to make the recipes. It also includes recipes that don’t involve food, something she was challenged to do by the publisher, who asked Hunt if she could come up with blends for everything from teas to cleaning solutions and soaps. In addition, the book contains “seasonally synchronized” recipes.

“I try to stay connected to the rhythm of the seasons by eating and cooking seasonally,” Hunt said. “That’s a big part of what I consider kitchen witchcraft.”

To Hunt, “food is the connective tissue between human beings.” This notion is at the core of Hunt’s company and her book. Hunt said she believes “there is magic in the connectivity of food,” which the recipes and rituals in the book will help readers unlock.

Kitchen Witchcraft for Beginners
Kitchen Witchcraft for Beginners: Spells, Recipes, and Rituals to Bring Your Practice Into the Kitchen, by Dawn Hunt
Available now wherever books are sold. Visit cucinaaurora.com to order a signed copy.

A Kitchen Witch’s cure-all chicken soup
Courtesy of Dawn Hunt, as seen in her book Kitchen Witchcraft for Beginners: Spells, Recipes, and Rituals to Bring Your Practice Into the Kitchen (serves 6 to 8)

chicken soup in mug with handle on table with bread

2 32-ounce cartons chicken broth (organic is preferable)
2 cups cubed cooked chicken
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped celery
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 cup chopped carrots
3 garlic cloves, minced
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Rosemary sprigs

In a large (5-quart) sauce pot, warm the oil over medium heat. Add the celery, onion, carrots and garlic. Cook, sauteeing on medium heat until the onions are soft and translucent. Add the chicken broth and the chicken. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, add the salt and the pepper to taste and stir three times, clockwise, to infuse the soup with positive intentions for health and healing. Reduce the heat to a simmer. Add the rosemary on top of the liquid and cover the pot. Let the soup simmer on low heat for at least one hour. Serve hot with noodles or crusty bread for dipping.

Featured photo: Dawn Hunt of Cucina Aurora. Courtesy photo.

The Weekly Dish 22/09/29

News from the local food scene

• Farm fresh pizzas: Join Brookford Farm (250 West Road, Canterbury) for a family-friendly pizza party on Saturday, Oct. 1, from 1 to 4 p.m., an event held in conjunction with the Northeast Organic Farming Association of New Hampshire to celebrate its 50th anniversary. Attendees can feast on house-made brick oven pizzas and sides that will be loaded with farm-fresh organic ingredients, and the party will also include live music, children’s activities, a farm tour, an exhibitor fair, raffle prizes and more. Tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for kids. Admission is free for kids under the age of 2. Visit nofanh.org/brookford-farm-event.

• A bite of the apple: The Salvation Army of Nashua will hold its annual Applefest on Saturday, Oct. 1, and Sunday, Oct. 2, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day, at Sullivan Farm (70 Coburn Ave., Nashua). In addition to apple picking, the rain-or-shine event will feature a variety of treats available for sale, like fresh cider, apple pies, ice cream, hamburgers and hot dogs. Other activities will include hay rides, scarecrow making, face painting, crafts and demonstrations from local businesses and groups. Tickets are $1 for food and activities — rates include one ticket for games, three tickets for hay rides and five tickets for apple crisp with ice cream. Visit nne.salvationarmy.org/nashua.

• Prost! Save the date for the annual Oktoberfest celebration at Mile Away Restaurant (52 Federal Hill Road, Milford) on Sunday, Oct. 2, from 12:30 to 5:30 p.m. In addition to an authentic food menu of German eats, there will be special Oktoberfest beers, live music and more. No entrance fee is necessary, but there is a $20 parking fee per car. Visit mileawayrestaurantnh.com.

• Plant-based perfection: Concord author Renee Plodzik will be at Gibson’s Bookstore (45 S. Main St., Concord) on Thursday, Oct. 6, at 6:30 p.m., to present her cookbook Eat Well Move Often Stay Strong. The book features several nutritional and seasonal recipes that include plant-based ingredients, often found locally — breakfast items, creative salads, protein-packed soups and sweet treats are all included. Plodzik is a nurse practitioner and the founder of fit4acause, a donation-only fitness and wellness program raising funds and awareness for cancer survivors. Copies of the book will be available for purchase during the event. Visit gibsonsbookstore.com.

• Brews and chilis: Tickets are on sale now for the Powder Keg Beer & Chili Festival, which returns to Swasey Parkway in Exeter on Saturday, Oct. 1, with two sessions, from noon to 2 p.m. and from 3 to 5 p.m. The event is presented by the Exeter Area Chamber of Commerce and the Exeter Parks and Recreation department, featuring hundreds of different beers, ciders and hard seltzers to taste from a variety of local vendors. Chili samples are also back this year for the first time since 2019. General admission tickets are $35 in advance and $45 at the door, and include a compostable tasting cup, access to unlimited beer and chili samples and live entertainment. Designated driver tickets are $10 in advance and $15 at the door. Visit powderkegbeerfest.com.• Greek night out: Join St. Philip Greek Orthodox Church (500 W. Hollis St., Nashua) for its annual Taverna Night on Saturday, Sept. 24, from 7 to 11 p.m. The event will include an evening of Greek appetizers, desserts, dancing and live music from the local band Ta Pethia. Admission is $35 for adults and $20 for attendees under 18. Visit stphilipnashua.com.

The many faces of chardonnay

This ubiquitous grape can be a product of its upbringing

Chardonnay may have reached its peak in the 1980s as a “wine of choice,” where a number of labels were sold as bladder boxes, housed in the household refrigerator, ready to be savored after a long day of trials and tribulations. However, this grape should not be slighted. It is, after all, one of the most widely planted of grape varieties. With over 500,000 acres planted, virtually worldwide, it may be considered the entrée to grape-growing and the production of wine.

Its recognized origins lie in Burgundy, France, but the grape’s true origins are a bit clouded. Tales trace it to the Crusaders bringing the grape to Europe from indigenous vines in Cyprus. Modern DNA research suggests chardonnay is the result of crossing two indigenous varieties, pinot noir and gouais blanc, a Roman grape, first found in Croatia. Whatever the true source of the grape, it has been grown and cross-bred so that as of 2006, 34 clonal varieties of chardonnay could be found in vineyards throughout France. The Dijon clones are bred for their adaptability, and the New World varieties, such as Mendoza, produced some of the early California chardonnays.

Why is there this interest in chardonnay? There are some, including my wife, who are true believers in “ABC” (Anything But Chardonnay). However, these same “non-imbibers” will drink heartily of white Burgundy or Champagne! This is simply because many consider chardonnay to be a neutral grape, a chameleon that fully expresses its terroir, the climate and soils of where it is grown. Chardonnay has an affinity to three soil types: chalk, clay and limestone, all prevalent in Champagne and Burgundy. California, with its volcanic soils and climate warmer than France, produces a wine with tropical and citric notes. The story of chardonnay is long and complex in each of the regions wherein the grape is grown and the wine is produced.

Our first wine, a 2021 Josh Cellars Chardonnay (originally priced at $16.99, and on sale at the New Hampshire Liquor & Wine Outlets until Sept. 25 for $11.45), is a Lake County California chardonnay. The color is light straw. To the nose there are notes of citrus and honey. These carry through to the tongue, with hints of peaches and the slightest touch of leather given by some exposure to oak. The flavor lingers on the palate with a fresh and clean finish. You could describe this as a classic California buttery chardonnay. This is an excellent value and would pair well with mild soft cheeses or rotisserie chicken.

Our second wine, a 2021 Maison Louis Jadot Mâcon-Villages Chardonnay (originally priced at $15.99, and on sale at the New Hampshire Liquor & Wine Outlets until Sept. 25 for $12.95). is a classic Cote d’Or White Burgundy wine. With grapes harvested from the Maconnais region of Burgundy, Louis Jadot produces some of the most prestigious Premier and Grand Cru wines. With its light straw color and floral notes to the nose, coupled with apple and citrus, this is a decidedly different chardonnay from the Josh Cellars. To the tongue, the taste is full of lemon curd or tangerine, but these flavors are coupled with the minerality of the chalk and limestone soils of Burgundy. This wine is 100 percent unoaked chardonnay to maximize the complex and vibrant nose and flavors it offers up. It can be sipped as an aperitif or paired to shellfish or goat cheese.

Our third wine, Pommery Brut Royal Champagne (originally priced at $46.99, and on sale at the New Hampshire Liquor & Wine Outlets until Sept. 25 for $39.99), is a blanc de blanc Champagne. That is, it is made of 100 percent chardonnay grapes sourced from 40 selected villages in the Côte des Blancs and Montagne de Reims areas of the Champagne region. The color is pale yellow with faint green highlights. To the nose, it is lively with that touch of brioche dough so closely linked to the yeast of the double fermentation. To the tongue the taste is rich and rounded, smooth and not dry with touches of apples. This is a wine for toasting, to be shared to acknowledge a special event.

Three examples of chardonnay that are so different from each other, and all to be enjoyed for their very different qualities. Give them a try!

Featured photo. Courtesy photo.

Category: Food