Recipe: Truffle Salted Cornbread

Truffles are in full season and while we love the flavors, truffles themselves can be QUITE expensive!  Instead, we've been enjoying truffle-infused items from our pantry.  This recipe for cornbread makes a great accompaniment to a bowl of soup on a chilly fall day.  

Note: While this recipe calls for an 8X8" baking dish, we used 3 small cast iron skillets.  And instead of greasing with olive oil, we placed a half teaspoon of bacon fat in each skillet and warmed them in the oven preheating  Just adding a bit of southern flair!

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon truffle salt
• 1cup plus 2 tablespoons buttermilk
• 2 large eggs
• 3 tablespoons White Truffle Oil
• 3 tablespoons Dr. Pescia Acacia Honey
• 1/4 cup melted unsalted butter
• 15 pieces Truffle Flakes

Preheat oven to 350° F. Brush an 8x8-inch square pan with the olive oil. In a large bowl, whisk together the durum wheat flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, eggs, truffle oil, and honey.  Whisk thoroughly until the honey is dissolved. Add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture. Add the melted butter and truffle flakes and stir with a wooden spoon until blended.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan, transfer the pan to the center of the oven, and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cornbread comes out clean, 30 minutes. 

Sorghum 101: A Beginner's Guide

Southerner's have long appreciated the virtues of Sorghum, but this sweet syrup is creating quite a bit of buzz in kitchens nationwide!  Our favorite comes from Kentucky's Bourbon Barrel Foods.  Estate grown, hand harvested and processed by a 5th generation sorghum grower,  this sorghum is about as good as it gets.  But what exactly IS sorghum?

Sorghum, a tall broad-leaf plant, resembles corn in the field, but the grain crop is best known for its end product: sweet sorghum syrup. That’s different than plain old sugar cane, which yields molasses, or, for that matter, the trees that yield maple syrup.  FarmFlavor.com > 

Sorghum cane is typically harvested during September and October. Many sorghum syrup producers extract the juice from freshly cut plants right in the field. The bright green juice then goes back to the mill, where it is kept, heated, in a holding tank. To avoid spoilage and produce the best syrup, they cook it the next day, thickening into light amber syrup that is then bottled. Ten gallons of raw sorghum juice yields about 1 gallon of syrup.  FarmFlavor.com > 

To store sorghum, tuck it into a dark kitchen cupboard at room temperature.  Like raw honey, you can microwave in a safe container to combat any unwanted crystallization.  Southern Living >

To use sorghum straight from the container, try a drizzle over ice cream or hot cornbread. Make your own vinaigrette with sorghum syrup or purchase Woodford Reserve Sorghum Vinaigrette for a fall salad that will impress the most discerning tastebuds.

Recipe: Sorghum Caramel Apple Bites

With the crisp fall weather and Halloween approaching, what better time to experiment with caramel coated apples.  Apples are abundant this time of year, so we gathered a few of our favorite varieties.  Sorghum syrup is making a big comeback and we love using it in caramel, for that extra touch of sweetness.  We cut our apples into slices to get more caramel in each bite, but you could also use whole apples for a more traditional approach.

The sorghum we carry is from Bourbon Barrel Foods of Kentucky.  Estate grown and hand harvested, it is earthy and sweet with a hint of exotic spice.  With another nod to the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, we put a slight twist on these seasonal treats by sprinkling them with Bourbon Smoked Sea Salt and chopped pistachios.  To make this recipe more kid friendly, substitute the sea salt and pistachios for chopped peanuts or popcorn.

Sorghum Bourbon Salted Caramel Apple Bites

• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup sorghum syrup
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
• 7 oz sweetened condensed milk
• 4 apples (any type is fine, we used a variety)
• Bourbon Barrel Smoked Sea Salt
• Chopped pistachios
• Wooden Skewers
• candy thermometer
• 1 can of sprite or ginger ale

1. Wash apples and slice into 6-8 pieces each.
2. Fill a mixing bowl with the sprite or ginger ale.  Soak the apples while you prepare the caramel.  This will keep them from browning.
3. Combine the brown sugar, sorghum and butter in a non-stick saucepan and heat on medium until the butter melts, 3 to 5 minutes.
4. Add the condensed milk, bring to a simmer and cook about 1 minute. Lower the heat and continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the temperature reads 240 degrees F on a candy thermometer, about 20 minutes.
5. Let the mixture stand for 5 minutes before dipping the apple slices.
6. Remove the apple slices from the soda and place on a paper towel to drain.  Skewer each slice. Dip each slice in the caramel.  Allow the excess caramel to drip off.  While the caramel is still wet, sprinkle lightly with bourbon smoked sea salt or dip into a pile of chopped pistachios.  Rest the dipped apple slices on a sheet of wax paper until completely cooled.

Food in the News: Week of September 22

California adopts new olive oil standards to better compete with imported oils.  LA Times >

Bitterness may be an acquired taste, but doesn't make it any less addictive!  From coffee to turnips, folks are getting hooked on bitters flavors  NPR >

Ever been into a foreign market or grocery and noticed the eggs aren't chilled?  Why the US chills eggs and most of the world doesn't  NPR >

Where you'll want to dine this fall: New restaurant highlights in New York, courtesy of Florence Fabricant.  NY Times >

What do do with all sorts of seasonal squash The Daily Gazette >

With tailgate season in full-effect, go behind the scenes of the catering business and learn what it takes to feed a crowd. Arkansas Times >

Make the most of your garden harvest with tips on preserving fruits & veggies from P. Allen Smith.  AY Magazine >

Easy Entertaining: Apple & Cheese Board

Last weekend, we attended the Cheese Tour here in upstate New York and it got us to thinking about our favorite ways to enjoy cheese.  Putting together a cheese board is a no-fuss way to entertain guests.  So, why not celebrate cheese and Hudson Valley apple season at the same time?  We paired some of our favorite apple varieties with recommended cheeses and even a couple of fancy crackers from our pantry.  With a glass of wine on a fall day, this presentation is sure to satisfy.

Apple & Cheese Board

• A variety of apples
• Cheeses (Gruyère, Aged White Cheddar, Manchego)
• Crackers (Jan's Farmhouse Crisps, Water Crackers)

Slice apples and rub slices with a juicy lemon wedge to prevent browning.  Arrange cheeses, apples, and crackers on a cheese board and serve.