September 26, 2022

Fall Bundle Cooking Demo with Mise En Place

We had so much fun cooking along with Chef Christine from Mise En Place! Chef Christine is so talented and was a fantastic guide helping us prepare her delicious recipe for a Kale & Apple Salad, Acorn Squash Filled with Savory Apple Stuffing, Fennel Sausage (or Italian SSG Crumble Tempeh) with Apples & Onions, and Apple Cake. Check out the recipes, grocery list and video below. Bon Appetite!

 

About Chef Christine:

Christine Wansleben is the Owner/Culinary Director of Mise En Place, located in Richmond, VA. She graduated from the Institute of Culinary Education (formerly Peter Kump’s NY Cooking School) in New York City, and has worked in restaurants such as Chanterelle and Eleven Madison Park. Prior to opening Mise En Place, Christine worked as a catering chef for A Sharper Palate Catering Company, in Richmond, VA. You can view her classes on her website here.

Class Prep List & Agenda:

Mise-en-place is the religion of all good line cooks. Do not “mess” with a line cook’s ‘meez’ — meaning his setup, his carefully arranged supplies of sea salt, rough-cracked pepper, softened butter, cooking oil, wine, backups, and so on.
As a cook, your station, and its condition, its state of readiness, is an extension of your nervous system…

The universe is in order when your station is set up the way you like it: you know where to find everything with your eyes closed, everything you need during the course of the shift is at the ready at arm’s reach, your defenses are deployed. – Anthony Bourdain, Kitchen Confidential

Here’s what you can prep ahead of class, techniques learned and the order that the recipes will be prepared.

1st Recipe: Acorn Squash with Savory Apple Stuffing

 To Do: Bake croutons in 350°F oven, increase oven temperature to 425°F, cut squash in half and seed, chop celery, garlic and apple, lightly beat eggs.

 Techniques Demonstrated: How to dice an onion, delicious side dish.

2nd Recipe: Fennel Sausage with Beer, Apples & Onions

●  To Do: Grind fennel & caraway seeds, prepare apples, piece sausage, have a pan with a cover.

●  Techniques Demonstrated: How to slice an onion, hearty Oktoberfest style dish.

3rd Recipe: Semi Homemade Apple Cake

●  To Do: Make crumb topping, preheat oven to 325F, slice apples.

●  Techniques Demonstrated: Simple fall dessert using a cake mix.

4th Recipe: Kale & Apple Salad

●  To Do: Remove kale ribs, slice thin and rinse with salad spinner, have large salad bowl ready, cut the dates.

●  Techniques Demonstrated: Removing ribs from kale, cutting an apple into matchsticks.

Seasonal Roots Offered a Bundle that Provided all the Fresh Ingredients for Chef Christine’s recipes. The Fall Cooking Class Recipes and Ingredients:
Seasonal Roots Bundle Ingredients: (marked in recipes with an *)

  • 1 bunch Curly Kale from Flores Farm
  • 1 bunch Red Curly Kale from Flores Farm
  • 2 Acorn Squash from Westmoreland Produce
  • 4 links Fennel Garlic Sausage from The Mayor Meats
  • 3 Piney River Gold Apples from Saunders Brothers
  • 3 HoneyCrisp Apples from Saunders Brothers
  • 1 Fresh Bouquet Herbs with Thyme, Sage and Rosemary from Flores Farm
  • 1 Sourdough Boule from La Bella Vita Bakery
  • 1 LillyBean Vanilla Cupcake Mix from Pastry Base
  • 3 Jonagold Apples from Saunders Brothers

Early Fall Cooking Class Ingredient and Equipment List

Additional Ingredients:

Produce:

●  2 medium onions

●  2 stalks of celery

●  6 garlic cloves

Dairy:

●  5 1/2 Tbsp unsalted butter

●  Pecorino Romano cheese

●  1⁄2 cup milk or milk alternative

Protein:

●  6 large eggs (2 are optional)

●  2 Tbsps chicken stock OR vegetable stock

Pantry:

● Olive oil, salt and pepper, lemon juice, dates, caraway seeds, fennel seeds, bay leaves, 1 can English ale, dry vermouth, cinnamon, ap flour, brown sugar, almonds and dried sage

Equipment Needed:

● Chef’s knife, cutting board, baking sheet, variety of mixing bowls, variety of measuring cups and spoons, saute pan, deep saute pan, cake pan or muffin tin, salad bowl

 

Kale and Apple Salad

Serves 6

Ingredients:

  • 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • Kosher salt
  • 1 bunch curly (mix of red and green)kale, ribs removed, leaves very thinly sliced*
  • 1/4 cup dates
  • 2 Honeycrisp apple*
  • 1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted
  • 1 ounce Pecorino, finely grated (1/4 cup)
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

  1. Whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Add the kale, toss to coat and let stand for 10 minutes.
  2. While the kale stands, cut the dates into thin slivers and the apple into thin matchsticks. Add the dates, apples, almonds and cheese to the kale. Season with salt and pepper and toss well.

 

Acorn Squash with Savory Apple Stuffing

Serves 4 (serving size: 1 stuffed squash half)

Ingredients:

  • 1 teaspoon olive oil, divided
  • 2 (1-lb.) acorn squash, halved lengthwise and seeded*
  • 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
  • 1 sourdough boule or country white bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (3 cups)*
  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground pepper
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2/3 cup finely chopped onion
  • 2/3 cup finely chopped celery
  • 6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 3/4 teaspoon dried sage*
  • 1 Piney River Gold Apple, peeled and finely chopped*
  • 4 large eggs, beaten
  • 2 tablespoons chicken or vegetable broth (more as needed)
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. On a baking sheet, toss the bread with 2 tablespoons of the oil; season with salt and pepper. Bake for about 10 minutes, until toasted. Transfer the croutons to a bowl.
  2. Once the croutons are done, increase the oven heat to 425°F.
  3. Brush 1/2 teaspoon oil over cut sides of squashes; top with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Place squashes, cut sides down, on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Bake at 425°F for 20 minutes or until almost tender. Remove from the oven.
  4. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, melt the butter in the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil. Add the onion and celery and cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sage and cook, stirring frequently. Mix the apple, eggs and broth into the croutons; season with salt and pepper. Let stand for 5 minutes. If the stuffing is still dry, add more broth, one tablespoon at a time.
  5. Spoon about 1/2 cup stuffing into each squash half. Bake at 425°F for 10 minutes or until squash halves are tender and lightly browned.

Fennel Sausage with Beer, Apples and Onions

Serves 6

Ingredients:

  • 1 teaspoon caraway seeds
  • 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 large onion (about 1 pound), halved lengthwise, thinly sliced crosswise
  • 3 large Piney Gold River Apples (about 1 1/2 pounds total), peeled, cored, thinly sliced*
  • 4 links fennel sausage (about 1 pound), pierced all over with skewer /Chaotic Good Tempeh Italian Crumbles*
  • 4 bay leaves
  • 1 can English Ale /12 oz broth
  • 2 tablespoons dry vermouth
  • 2 tablespoons ketchup
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons butter, melted

Directions:

  1. Place caraway seeds and fennel seeds in a small resealable plastic bag. Crush seeds with a mallet.
  2. Heat a deep saute pan or dutch oven to medium heat and add vegetable oil to the pan. Sear the sausages on all sides until brown all around.
  3. Remove from the pan and set aside. Add the onions and apples to the pan. Saute until onions start to soften. Add the bay leaves. Return the brats to the pan, with their juices. Make sure the sausages are nestled in the vegetable mixture.
  4. Add the can of beer, lower the heat and cover. Simmer until the sausages are cooked all the way through. Mix vermouth, and ketchup in a measuring cup. Pour ketchup mixture evenly over the mixture after 5 minutes of cooking. Let the sausages simmer for about 15 minutes. Check for doneness.

Simple Apple Cake

Ingredients:

  • 1 package of LillyBean Vanilla Cupcake Mix
  • 4 tablespoons of any neutral oil
  • 1⁄2 cup of milk or 3⁄4 cup milk substitute
  • 2 large eggs (optional)
  • 1 tablespoon of ground cinnamon
  • 2 Fresh Jonagold Apples*
  • Non stick cooking spray

Topping:

  • 6 tablespoons AP flour/GF flour
  • 3 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1⁄2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • Pinch salt
  • 2 tablespoons EV olive oil or unsalted butter 3 tablespoons sliced almonds (optional)

Directions:

  1. Slice the fruit thin and set aside, if using apples, slice them at the last minute so they don’t oxidize.
  2. Mix the crumb topping ingredients together by hand in a small bowl until clumpy, put the bowl in the freezer until ready to bake.
  3. Preheat the oven to 325°F.
  4. In a bowl add the cinnamon and dry cupcake mix together and blend with a fork. Add the oil, eggs, and milk and stir until well combined.
  5. Pour batter into desired greased cooking pan, top with thinly sliced fruit, gently pressed into batter and sprinkle with crumble topping.
  6. Cake can be baked in a greased preheated 10” cast iron pan, or a cake pan, or in paper lined mun tins. Be creative!
  7. Bake for 20-25 minutes (for a cake, less for cupcakes) or until a toothpick comes out clean with little or no crumbs.

 

Mise En Place *** 804-404-5328 *** www.miseenplacerva.com

About Seasonal Roots

Since 2011, Seasonal Roots’ online farmers market has connected Virginia families with local family farmers who use sustainable, humane practices. Our neighborhood market managers – who believe in living better through scrumptious, healthy eating, being kind to animals, protecting the environment, and spreading joy – home-deliver freshly harvested produce, pastured eggs, grass fed dairy and meat, plus artisan fare. We empower our members to eat better and live better with more nutritious, flavorful food that’s good for us and good for the planet. More info at seasonalroots.com.