Tag: 221006

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 ([email protected], 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.

On The Job – Christine Arlit

Quilt shop owner

Christine Arlit is the owner of The Sewing Diva Quilt Shop, a full-service quilt shop in North Salem Village.

Explain your job and what it entails.

As the owner, I wear many hats [including] purchasing inventory, entering it in the system, getting it onto the sales floor, scheduling classes, making samples, cooking for events in the store, teaching, long arm quilting customer quilts, bookkeeping and cleaning.

How long have you had this job?

I have been in business since 2009, briefly closing in 2017 to care for my mom.

What led you to this career field and your current job?

I took a quilting class and just fell in love with quilting. I was out shopping for fabric one day and was in need of help and I couldn’t get the help I was looking for so I decided to be that person who would be there to help new quilters pick out fabrics for their projects.

What kind of education or training did you need?

I wouldn’t say it was training, but my passion about what I was doing and wanting to help and educate new quilters was my goal. I learned a lot on my own and hired teachers to help in the process of educating new quilters.

What is your typical at-work uniform or attire?

I am business casual most of the time. I am on my feet most of the day, so you will find me with black polka dot slippers on in the store the majority of the day.

How has your job changed over the course of the pandemic?

The pandemic changed us in the fact that we were limited on the number of people in our classroom, people were masked in the store, inventory was delayed, and we would need to monitor how many people we had in the store.

What do you wish you’d known at the beginning of your career?

I wish I knew that sometimes salespeople are just that — salespeople. You need to listen to your gut and buy what’s good for your store and customers. More is not always better.

What do you wish other people knew about your job?

I think most people know as a small business owner you do everything. You never stop working. Even when I am home, I am always on the computer looking at new patterns and fabrics for the store.

What was the first job you ever had?

My first job was being a cashier at Marlin Mills in Methuen, Mass. I remember we had to wear striped aprons over our clothes and you were to always look busy.

What’s the best piece of work-related advice you’ve ever received?

The best advice I received is do what you love and love what you do; the rest will fall into place.

Five favorites

Favorite book: Anything by Danielle Steel
Favorite movie: Dirty Dancing
Favorite music: Country and ’80s music
Favorite food: Chinese
Favorite thing about NH: I love camping, hiking and the mountains.

Featured photo: Christine Arlit. Courtesy photo.

Growing good apples without chemicals

It’s not too late to plant your orchard this year

I love the saying that something is “As American as apple pie.” I love apple pie and would have some for breakfast every day if I could. But oddly enough, apples are not native to the United States. They came from Kazakhstan, in central Asia east of the Caspian Sea.

I recently received a review copy of a great book about apples, Hardy Apples: Growing Apples in Cold Climates, by Bob Osborne with lots of fabulous photos by Beth Powning and published by Firefly Books (hardback, $35). It covers how to grow apples, and also has 140 pages of photos and descriptions of the best apples we can grow.

I spoke to Bob Osborne by phone at his home in New Brunswick, Canada. Bob has been planting apple trees in his orchard for over 40 years, mainly for scions (shoots) used for grafting by other orchardists. That required him to grow many, many different cultivars (varieties) of apples.

Bob is an organic grower and has paid attention to his soil as the key to healthy growth. In his book he gives a fine explanation of the soils that best support healthy apple trees. He recommends doing a soil test before planting apples.

A soil pH lower than 6.3, he notes, will not allow a tree to access the nutrients necessary for optimal growth and fruit quality. Calcium, magnesium and phosphorus can be bound up and unavailable even if present in the soil. He writes that in areas with naturally acidic soils, it is good to add lime every six years to keep the soil pH in the correct range.

Chemical fertilizer, he writes, provides nitrogen that when dissolved in water is highly acidic and can destroy much of the soil life that provides nitrogen naturally. Instead he recommends adding compost, blood meal, feather meal, fish meal or bone meal. He explains that you should not use fresh manures even though they are good sources of nitrogen. They can carry disease-carrying bacteria that can sicken you if you pick up dropped apples.

Potassium is important for good-quality fruit. Low potassium “may result in small fruit size, low sugar content and poor storability.” A soil test from your local state extension service or a commercial lab will tell you if you have adequate potassium, but if your fruit size is small, you may need to add some. Wood ash, he writes, is a good source of potassium, having about six percent potassium. I have read elsewhere that ash from charcoal grills should not be used in the garden.

Choosing a good site for your apple trees is important. For the home orchardist, apples will grow most anywhere, but full sun is best. Late spring frosts can damage blossoms and reduce fruit yields, so planting on a hillside is best. Cold air flows downhill and settles in low spots, which should be avoided. A hillside generally drains water better, which promotes healthy roots. Roots can rot in areas with year-round soggy soils.

Apple tree size is determined by the rootstock a scion is grafted to. There are four basic sizes: dwarf, semi-dwarf, semi-standard and standard. A few apples come on their own roots and tend to be full-sized trees. Bob recommends semi-dwarf or semi-standard for the home gardener. Dwarf trees, he told me, need support all their lives as the root systems are not adequate to hold them up in a storm.

I asked Bob for his recommendations for the best apples to grow in a home garden. The best, he said, is Liberty. It is resistant to many common diseases, tastes great and stores well. But he warned, you need to pick it when it is ready, not too early or too late. He picks his on Oct. 6, but farther south picking is earlier.

Next he recommended Novamac. It is resistant to scab, fireblight and cedar apple rust; it does not attract codling moths. It is tasty, it keeps well, and its form is open and easy to prune. It can be picked early if you like a tart apple. Other apples he likes include Sandow, Greensleeves and Pristine. See his book for more details on them and many others.

It’s not too late to plant an apple tree this year if you find one in a pot that you like. Or you can start planting next spring. In any case, having Bob Osborne’s book will guide you through the process.

Featured photo: Courtesy photo.

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