CHRISTMAS BY HEART RECIPES
Michel Nischan believes “the food
we grow and cook, in the place we
call home, defines who we are.”
He puts this belief into practice at
The Dressing Room, his restaurant
in Westport, Connecticut, and
through his nonprofit,The
Wholesome Wave Foundation. The
Dressing Room was a collaboration
with friend and fellow food lover,
the late Paul Newman. Adjacent to
the Westport Country Playhouse,
the restaurant serves American
heirloom recipes prepared with
homegrown and local ingredients.
The Wholesome Wave
Foundation worksto make locally
grown, sustainable foods available
to home cooks, communities, and
college campuses through local
farmers' markets, educational
programs, and farm support
initiatives. Helping Michel carry on
traditions are his children: Lauren,
23; Courtney, 21; Chris, 18; Drew, 10;
and Ethan, 7.
Michel is the author of two
cookbooks: the James Beard
award-winning
Taste Pure and
S im ple
(Chronicle;
$35) and
H o m egrow n,
P ure a n d S im ple
(Chronicle; $35).
For more
information, visit
dressingroom
hom egrow n.com .
To learn more about
sustainable foods and
the Wholesome Wave
Foundation, go to
wholesom ewa ve. org.
PUMPKIN BREAD PUDDING
Look for fresh chestnuts in the produce
section of the supermarket and roast them as
instructed,
r ig h t .
Peeled and cooked chestnuts
are available online at
m e lis s a s .c o m
or
d a r ta g n a n .c o m .
Pumpkins and other hard-
shelled winter squashes stretch out the harvest
because they can be stored in a cool, dark place
up to 2 months. For this dish, take your pick
of pumpkin or squashes such as butternut,
delicata, golden nugget, acorn, sweet
dumpling or carnival squash. See roasting
instructions,
r ig h t .
P R E P : 30 M IN . B A K E : 50 M IN . O V E N :3 5 0 °F
B u tte r
i ! 4
c u p s w h ip p in g c r e a m
i
c u p m ilk
4
o r 5 la rg e c r o is s a n ts o r
i o o z .
e g g
b r e a d , t o r n ( a b o u t 6 c u p s )
1
c u p s ro a s te d , s h e lle d c h e s tn u ts ,
c r u m b le d , o r o n e 8 - t o io - o z . c a n
c h e s tn u ts , d r a in e d a n d c r u m b le d
3
la rg e e g g s
i
e g g y o lk
i
c u p g r a n u la te d s u g a r
i
c u p p a c k e d b r o w n s u g a r
i
lb . r o a s te d p u m p k in fle s h o r h a rd
s q u a s h fle s h , m a s h e d (2 c u p s ) o r
o n e 15-o z . c a n p u m p k in
1
Va,
c u p s d r ie d c u r r a n ts o r g o ld e n ra is in s
3
T b s p . b u tt e r , m e lte d
V2
t s p . g r o u n d c a r d a m o m
V
2
t s p . g r o u n d g in g e r
S e e d s o f o n e v a n illa b e a n * o r
2 ts p . v a n illa e x tr a c t
1
r e c ip e M o la s s e s C re a m ,
right
F re s h th y m e ( o p t io n a l)
1.
P r e h e a t o v e n t o 3 5 0 ° F . B u t t e r a 2
V
2
-
t o
3 - q u a r t c a s s e ro le ; s e t a s id e . I n la r g e b o w l
c o m b in e w h ip p i n g c r e a m a n d m ilk . A d d
t o r n c r o is s a n ts a n d c h e s tn u ts . G e n t ly p re s s
u n t i l e v e r y t h in g is c o v e r e d b y th e m i lk
m ix t u r e . L e t s ta n d w h il e p r e p a r in g c u s ta r d .
2.
F o r c u s ta r d , c o m b in e e g g s , e g g y o lk , s u g a rs ,
p u m p k in , c u r r a n ts , m e lte d b u tte r , s p ic e s , a n d
v a n illa in th e t o p in s e r t o f a la rg e d o u b le b o ile r
( o r in a la r g e h e a t p r o o f b o w l s e t o v e r a
s a u c e p a n o f s im m e r in g w a te r , m a k in g s u r e
b o w l d o e s n o t t o u c h w a t e r ) . P la c e d o u b le
b o ile r o v e r m e d iu m h e a t a n d s t i r c o n s t a n t ly
u n t i l m i x t u r e is w a r m a n d s u g a r s h a v e
d is s o lv e d . F o ld in t o c r o is s a n t m ix tu r e . P o u r a ll
in t o p r e p a r e d c a s s e ro le . B a k e , u n c o v e r e d ,
5 0 m in u t e s o r u n t i l s e t. S e rv e w a r m w i t h
M o la s s e s C r e a m a n d th y m e . S to r e a n y
r e m a in in g b r e a d p u d d in g in r e f r ig e r a t o r
U p t o 2 d a y s . M A K E S 12 S E R V IN G S .
M O L A S S E S C R E A M I n la r g e b o w l w h is k
1 c u p w h ip p in g c re a m u n t il i t s ta r ts to
t h ic k e n . G r a d u a lly w h is k in 1 ta b le s p o o n
m o la s s e s , s o r g h u m , o r h o n e y . S e r v e a t o n c e .
R O A S T IN G C H E S T N U T S C u t a n X o n f la t s id e
o f e a c h c h e s t n u t . P la c e in b a k in g p a n . R o a s t
a t 4 0 0 ° F f o r 15 m in u t e s , to s s in g o c c a s io n -
a lly . P e e l c h e s tn u t s w h il e s t i l l w a r m .
R O A S T IN G P U M P K IN O R s q u a s h W a s h ,
h a lv e le n g th w is e , a n d r e m o v e s e e d s o f p ie
p u m p k in o r h a r d ( w in t e r ) s q u a s h . P la c e
h a lv e s , c u t s id e s d o w n , in b a k in g d is h . B a k e
a t 3 5 0 ° F f o r 4 5 to 5 5 m in u t e s o r u n t i l te n d e r ;
c o o l. S c ra p e fle s h f r o m s h e ll w i t h a s p o o n .
^k it c h e n t i p T o r e m o v e s e e d s f r o m v a n illa
b e a n , u s e s m a ll k n if e t o s p lit b e a n in h a lf
le n g th w is e . U s in g t i p o f k n ife , s c ra p e o u t th e
s m a ll b la c k s e e d s f r o m e a c h h a lf, d is c a r d p o d ,
o r a d d to V a n illa B e a n -V e rb e n a S u g a r,
page 189.
E A C H S E R V IN G
520 cal, 26gfat (15gsat. fat),
154 mgchol, 213 mg sodium, 69gcarbo,2g
fiber, 6gpro. Daily Values: 76% vit.A, 8% vit. C,
11% calcium, 10% iron.
To find local producers, begin here:
■ USDA AGRICULTURAL MARKETING
SERVICE Find farmers' markets,
farmstands, community-supported
agriculture organizations (usually
abbreviated as CSAs), and pick-
your-own farms at
am s.usda.gov.
■ LOCAL HARVEST Through the Web
site
localharvest.orgyou
can find
local growers and farmers' markets
in or around your ZIP code; the site
also sells products from farmers.
■ MEAT SOURCES Michel
recommends Niman Ranch,
nim anranch.com ,
and Heritage
Foods USA,
heritagefoodsusa.com .
■ TO LEARN MORE ABOUT
sustainable agriculture, go to The
Wholesome Wave Foundation at
wholesom ewave.org
or The 100
Mile Diet,
io o m ile d ie t.o rg .
1 8 0
DECEMBER2008 BETTER HOMES ANDGARDENS
