Chinese Five Spiced Apple-Carrot Pie

Tender carrots are surprisingly sweet when baked in a brown sugar syrup, especially when united with perfect Washington apples and plump little raisin gems. The fresh ginger is a classic pairing with the carrot, and is highlighted perfectly by the Star Anise in our Chinese Five Spice. The all-butter crust recipe I've included is a long-time standby of mine, and produces some of the flakiest and best pastry I've ever tasted. It will definitely be making an appearance at my Thanksgiving table this year!

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Caribbean Curry Carrot Soup

A word of advice from a novice gardener: Carrots are much bigger than carrot seeds. Somehow, fifty-odd square feet of garden space doesn't seem like that much when it's being planted, but it can produce a surprising haul, most especially in the carrot department. Praise be that carrots are delicious, so their being excessively plentiful is a problem I'm thankful to have! This soup is hearty and delicious, made velvety by the soft puree of carrots, and the sunny flavors of Caribbean Curry. We've dressed it up a little with the prawns, but this soup can easily be made vegan by omitting them and using red miso paste in favor of the Worcestershire powder.

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Memphis Beale St. BBQ Brisket with Whiskey Sauce

Beef brisket is one of my favorite cuts of meat. When cooked just right, it is incredibly tender and flavorful, and one of the most affordable cuts to boot! However there are an abundance of horror stories out there of under or overcooked brisket that end up tough, dry, chewy, shrunken or shriveled. Don't fear! With a little practice and close attention you can easily avoid these common pitfalls.Briskets come in a wide variety of sizes, from a small one pound size common in the supermarket, to massive fourteen pounders meant to spend an entire day in a smoker; in this recipe we call for about a three pound brisket. Feel free to use whatever size you need to feed everyone at your table. but be sure to adjust the cooking time accordingly. Having an in-oven probe thermometer will be a huge asset here, since being able to pull it out of the oven right at 185°F and letting it rest for a while will give your brisket the maximum amount of time at just the right temperature to melt the fat without overcooking. The key to a tender brisket is cooking it just long enough to allow the connective tissue to breakdown, without leaving it dry and tough.Also, when making the whiskey BBQ sauce, be sure to use a whiskey you would drink. The old adage about not cooking with something you wouldn't drink yourself isn't just for wine!

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Five Seed Roasted Potatoes

This fabulous twist on roasted potatoes generously comes to us from chef Jerry Traunfeld of the late restaurant, Poppy, here in Seattle. The spice mix is a version of Bengali Five Spice, a.k.a. Panch Phoron, using ajwain seed in place of fennel. I made this for a celebratory Sunday evening feast after enjoying the sunny afternoon harvesting potatoes. Lots of love went into growing our potatoes this year, and it was a joy to toss them with this exquisite mixture. Thanks, Jerry!

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Indian Coriander Energy Bars

Sometimes I get so busy doing things that I forget to eat breakfast and/or lunch. I know, I shouldn't do that, but I do. I've tried various power or energy bars, but I found them to be too sweet, lacking in flavor, or really just not very healthy. So I made my own.For this recipe, I set out to make an energy bar that tasted good, was high in all of the "good" stuff we're supposed to be eating every day, and was full of things that I loved, like Indian Coriander Seed. I'm also a huge fan of chia seeds, and using them eliminated the need to use oil or eggs in the bars. Chia seeds are full of essential fatty acids, antioxidants, calcium, iron, fiber, and are a source of natural extended energy. I will admit to sometimes putting chocolate chips in them, but chocolate is good for you, too, right?

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Ras El Hanout Plum Preserves

Her name was Edna Nosworthy. She was the type of lady who invited every family from the neighborhood to harvest from the abundance of fruit trees in her yard. Apples, pears, cherries, and Italian plums - oh my! She would then turn these fruits into vats of phenomenal pickles, preserves, jams, and pie fillings. These preserves are a homage to the generation that inspires us to use what we have, and share with our neighbors. The global update is lent by the Moroccan staple, Ras El Hanout, whose complex flavors accentuate the sweet-sour plums. Any variety of plum will do, a trip to your local Farmer's Market is sure to spark to inspiration. These preserves are delicious over ice cream, on a warm toasted baguette, or as a dipping sauce for juicy lamb kebabs.

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Cuban Black Bean Burger

There are many veggie burger recipes out there, but we have a fondness for this one. With protein-rich black beans and quinoa, this is a veggie burger with some substance. We added our savory Cuban Spice, zesty Voodoo and herbs to amp up the flavor even more. Top with lettuce, tomato, or any other burger fixings you love. This delicious and addictive veggie burger will become one that you will want to eat year round.

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Kofte Spice Stuffed Zucchini

Zucchini season has officially begun in the Pacific Northwest, and boy is it a successful one this year. The markets are full of this fine summer squash and I was recently gifted a zucchini from the family garden which is about the size of my torso. I needed to find something delicious to do with my bounty, and stuffed zucchini was just the thing.This Turkish-influenced recipe looks and tastes impressive, but requires little effort to make aside from tossing a few things together and leaving it to cook. Of course since this is a Turkish recipe, my favorite spice blend to pair it with is Kofte Spice - the peppermint and savory are a refreshing addition on warm summer days. A filling dinner for three or a starter for 6, all you need is three medium sized zucchinis (or one monster one).

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Spicy Smoked Paprika Romesco Over Grilled Trout

My first taste of romesco was not, sadly, in Catalonia. I first encountered this crimson sauce in Walla Walla, Washington at a going away party for a dear foodie friend. I prepped ribs, halibut, and vegetables while my compatriot raced around the kitchen preparing “the sauce”. He toasted almonds, blistered heirloom tomatoes, roasted peppers and garlic, and (after several stops in the Cuisinart) it came out like ruby velvet. We served it with the halibut, where the rich sauce found its perfect match in the clean taste of the firm white fish. That meal was my inspiration for this recipe.I grew up in northeast Wisconsin, deep in the Northwoods, on the banks of the Wolf River. The rushing water was my lullaby as an infant, my playground as a child, and where I found my love for food the river continued to provide. Smallmouth bass hid out in the deep holes at the bottoms of rapids. I pulled gallons of crayfish out of the water with a pair of diving goggles and my bare hands. My favorite, though, was the trout. It's delicious, simple to prepare, and environmentally sustainable.You can pick up Idaho-farmed rainbow trout at many grocery stores and they only take a few minutes to prepare. We grilled ours and served it with our very own romesco. We bumped up the sauce’s heat by adding some Spanish Smoked Picante Paprika, while reducing the prep time by using jarred peppers and canned tomatoes. You wind up with a dish that’s impressive enough for date night and simple enough for any week night.

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