Pomegranate-Glazed Turkey with Roasted Fennel - 4 Servings

Pair turkey cutlets with roasted fennel and a rich pomegranate pan sauce for a simple yet elegant dish. Garnish with jewel-like fresh pomegranate seeds if available—they are in season from September through January. Turkey scallopini (thinner and smaller than cutlets) will also work in this recipe, but will need to be cooked in batches. Make it a meal: Nutty-tasting bulgur is delicious with this.

· 4 medium fennel bulbs, cored and thickly sliced

· 5 teaspoons canola oil, divided

· 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme, plus 1 sprig

· 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided

· 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided

· 4 turkey cutlets, 1/4 inch thick (1 pound)

· 1 cup pomegranate juice

· 1/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth, or water

· 1 teaspoon cornstarch

· Preheat oven to 450°F.

· Toss fennel, 3 teaspoons oil, chopped thyme and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Spread on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast, stirring twice, until tender and golden, about 25 minutes.

· Meanwhile, sprinkle both sides of turkey with the remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Heat the remaining 2 teaspoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the turkey and cook until browned, 1 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.

· Add pomegranate juice and thyme sprig to the pan; bring to a boil. Boil, stirring often, until reduced to 1/4 cup, 6 to 10 minutes. Discard the thyme. Whisk together broth (or water) and cornstarch; add to the pan and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 15 seconds. Reduce heat to medium, return the turkey and any accumulated juices to the pan, turning to coat with sauce, and cook for 1 minute. To serve, top roasted fennel with turkey and sauce.

1st Annual Fall Community Festival

October 27, 2007 was our 1st but definitely not our last Festival event.

painting, free pumpkins, McGruff the Crime Dog, Finger Printing Kits, great food tasting, information exchanged for anyone having real estate needs or having mortgage or title company questions. Many raffle items were given and a free IPOD was donated by Al. Proceeds from the event were given to the local Fire Department. We are planning a Spring Event so keep your eyes open for the advertising of date and times.

Sugarcane Baked Ham with Spiced Apples & Pears

12 sugarcane swizzle sticks, each cut into about 3 inch pieces 1 hickory smoked ham, spiral sliced, 8 to 10 pounds (no bone, water added, cooked) 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar 1 cup pure cane syrup (recommended: Steen's) 1/2 cup dark molasses 1/2 cup dark corn syrup 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon dry mustard 1/4 cup water 1 1/2 pounds (about 4) Granny Smith apples 1 1/2 pounds (about 4) Bartlett pears 2 dozen medium buttermilk biscuits

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Line a shallow baking pan with parchment or waxed paper. Insert the sugarcane sticks into the ham at 3 to 4-inch intervals. Tie the ham, using kitchen twine, horizontally and vertically to keep it together, like wrapping a gift. Place on a wire rack in the baking pan.
In a mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients together except for the mustard and water. Mix well. In a small bowl, dissolve the mustard in the water, then add to the spice mixture. Blend well. Brush the entire ham with the glaze, coating it evenly.
Wash, core, and halve the fruit. Place all around the ham. Baste the ham a second time and baste the fruit with the glaze. Bake for 45 minutes. Baste the ham and fruit again. Bake another 45 minutes.
Remove the ham from the oven and let it rest for 5 minutes. Remove and discard the string and swizzle sticks.
Serve the apples and pears on a platter with the ham. Serve everything warm or at room temperature. Serve the biscuits on the side.
Recipe SummaryDifficulty: Easy Prep Time: 20 minutes Inactive Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes Yield: 10 to 12 servings

Toasted Pumpkin Seeds

Seeds from 1 large pumpkin, rinsed and dried2 tablespoons olive oilSalt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Scatter pumpkin seeds onto a sheet pan in a single layer and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss to coat. Bake for about 7 minutes, until light brown and crispy.
Difficulty: Easy Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 7 minutes Yield: about 1 cup

Caramel Peach Upside-Down Cake

Upside-down cakes are great for summer barbecues -- and the leftovers make a fantastic breakfast. We've used grits here to add crunchy, moist texture; the combination of caramel and allspice adds complex, sweet, fruitiness.

Softened unsalted butter
Caramel peaches: 2/3 cup sugar 1 tablespoon light corn syrup 6 whole allspice berries, optional 1 tablespoon water 3 large ripe peaches (about 1 pound)
Cake: 3/4 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 cup old-fashioned grits 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon fine salt 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), at room temperature 2/3 cup sugar 2 large eggs, at room temperature 1/2 cup sour cream, at room temperature
Serving suggestions: Vanilla ice cream or whipped cream
Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9-inch cake pan, line bottom with parchment paper and brush the paper with butter.
Caramel peaches: Combine the sugar, corn syrup, allspice and water in a medium saucepan. Stir over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Increase the heat to high, and continue to cook, without stirring, until the mixture becomes an amber caramel, about 5 minutes. Pour the caramel into the prepared pan and set aside to cool.
Halve and pit the peaches, but leave their skins on. Cut each half into 3 wedges. Arrange the wedges in concentric circles in the pan. Set aside while you make the cake batter.
Cake: Whisk the flour, grits, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
Slowly mix the butter and sugar in a large bowl with a hand-held electric mixer. Increase the speed to high, and continue beating until the butter is light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs 1 at time, waiting for each to be fully incorporated before adding the next.
While mixing at a low speed, add the dry ingredients in 3 additions, alternating with the sour cream in 2 additions, beginning and ending with the flour. Increase the speed to medium and mix briefly to make a smooth batter. Pour the batter over the peaches and smooth over.
Bake the cake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 40 to 45 minutes. Cool the cake in the pan on a rack, about 20 minutes.
Run a knife around the edge of the pan to release the cake. Carefully invert the cake onto a serving plate and remove the parchment paper. Serve warm or at room temperature with ice cream or whipped cream, if desired.
Copyright 2002 Television Food Network, G.P. All rights reserved

The Ultimate Barbecued Ribs

Difficulty: Easy Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes Yield: 4 to 6 servings

2 slabs baby back ribs (about 3 pounds) Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper Extra-virgin olive oil 2 bacon slices 4 sprigs fresh thyme 1/2 onion 3 smashed garlic cloves 2 cups ketchup 1 cup peach preserves 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard or 1 tablespoon dry mustard 2 tablespoons brown sugar 1/4 cup molasses 2 tablespoons red or white wine vinegar 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon ground paprika
Special equipment: Kitchen twine
Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. Put the ribs on a baking sheet, season with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Stick them in the oven, and let the ribs bake, low and slow for 1 1/2 hours.
Meanwhile, make the sauce. Wrap the bacon around the middle of the thyme sprigs and tie with kitchen twine so you have a nice bundle. Heat a 2-count of oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the thyme bundle and cook slowly for 3 to 4 minutes to render the bacon fat and give the sauce a nice smoky taste. Add the onion and garlic and cook slowly, without coloring, for 5 minutes. Add all of the rest of the sauce ingredients, give the sauce a stir, and turn the heat down to low. Cook slowly for 20 minutes to meld the flavors. Put some sauce in a separate bowl for basting, reserving the remaining sauce for serving.
Baste the ribs with the sauce and let them continue cooking, basting twice more, for 30 more minutes. When the ribs are cooked, take them out of the oven. You can let them hang out like this until you're ready to eat.
When ready to eat, preheat the broiler for 5 minutes and broil the ribs, basting with the sauce. They should become crisp and charred, about 5 minutes on each side. Pick the onion and garlic out of the sauce and serve with ribs.
Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence, 2007
See this recipe on air Monday Jun. 25 at 11:30 AM ET/PT.
Show:
Tyler's Ultimate
Episode:
BBQ Ribs

May's Recipe-Mango Margarita

For the Mango Margarita Mix: 1 1/4 pounds fresh mangoes 1 cup water 1/2 cup sugar Gray salt
For the drink: 3 cups ice 1 1/2 cups Mango Margarita Mix 4 ounces tequila 2 ounces triple sec Lime wedges Mint Salt, recipe follows
Peel and pit the mangoes and cut them into large chunks. Place the mango in a blender with the water, sugar, and a pinch of salt. Blend until smooth. Taste and add more sugar, if necessary.
Fill the blender with ice and add the Mango Margarita Mix, tequila, and triple sec. Blend until smooth. Rub the rim of a margarita glass with a lime wedge and dip into Mint Salt to coat rim. Fill glass and enjoy!
Mint Salt: 1 cup fresh mint leaves 1 cup gray salt or coarse sea salt
Clean and dry mint and roughly chop. With a mortar and pestle, crush equal parts fresh mint and salt.
Yield: about 1 cup salt

Recipe-Garlic Roast Chicken with Rosemary and Lemon

2 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into large chunks 6 cloves garlic, crushed 3 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves stripped from stems 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, eyeball it 1 lemon, zested and juiced 1 tablespoon grill seasoning blend (recommended: Montreal Seasoning) or, coarse salt and black pepper 1/2 cup dry white wine or chicken broth
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
Arrange chicken in a baking dish, 9 by 13-inch. Add garlic, rosemary, extra-virgin olive oil, lemon zest and grill seasoning or salt and pepper to the dish. Toss and coat the chicken with all ingredients, then place in oven. Roast 20 minutes. Add wine and lemon juice to the dish and combine with pan juices. Return to oven and turn oven off. Let stand 5 minutes longer then remove chicken from the oven. Place baking dish on trivet and serve, spooning pan juices over the chicken pieces.

Recipe-Get Those Grills Ready

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis
Difficulty: Medium Prep Time: 30 minutes Cook Time: 15 minutes Yield: 4 servings
1 1/4 pounds lean ground chuck 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 3 portobello mushrooms, stems trimmed 3 tablespoons olive oil 1/2 cup mayonnaise 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic 4 (4-inch) square or round ciabatta or foccacia squares, halved horizontally 2 cups fresh arugula
Combine the ground chuck, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Shape the mixture into 4 (1/2-inch-thick) patties.
Lightly drizzle both sides of the mushrooms with the oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Mix the mayonnaise, lemon juice, and garlic in a small bowl to blend. (The patties, mushrooms, and garlic mayonnaise can be prepared up to this point 1 day ahead. Cover them separately and refrigerate.)
Prepare the barbecue (medium-high heat). Grill the burgers until cooked to desired doneness, about 4 minutes per side for medium-rare. Grill the mushrooms until just tender, about 5 minutes per side. Grill the focaccia squares cut side down, until lightly toasted, about 2 minutes.
Spread the garlic mayonnaise over the roll bottoms. Cut the mushrooms into strips and arrange the mushroom strips over the mayonnaise. Place the burgers atop the mushrooms. Spread garlic mayonnaise on the cut side of the tops and arrange a handful of arugula on each. Cover the burger with the roll tops and serve.