I think what I like about Lahassa and the human Pilgrim’s Bounty is its inherent simplicity. You gather together with family or friends to share a meal and to consider all that we have to be thankful for in our lives. Many of us in the Alliance come together to celebrate the last harvest, but the holiday means something different to everyone. The holiday dinner is conventionally associated with very specific foods, but that’s not where all our tradition begins and ends. The Alliance is a melting pot. This season is about diverse cultures coming together with traditions that blend the best of the old world with customs of the new. In honor of the Alliance, I personally offer these new and inspired recipes for the holiday from my table to yours. Ingredients Ingredients Ingredients IngredientsDirectionsPlace all the fruit into the stockpot and fill with 4 liters of water, or until the pot is almost full. Next bring the pot to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium/low and simmer for 5 minutes. Afterwards, stir and sample, adding sugar or honey if necessary. Turn off the heat and cover the lid. Keep the boiled fruit mixture in the stockpot overnight, allowing the druid to infuse for a few hours. In the morning strain the fruit using a colander, and press juice out of the remaining fruits with your hands. Keep the juice refrigerated.
DirectionsBring water with salt to a boil in a large saucepan, then simmer wild rice, covered, until tender, about 45 minutes. Remove from heat and let rice stand in cooking liquid, uncovered, 30 minutes. Drain rice in a sieve set over a saucepan and reserve rice. Add vegetable stock to cooking liquid and bring to a simmer. Keep liquid hot, covered, over low heat.Heat butter and oil in a 6 to 8-quart pot over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté sage, stirring generously for 1 minute. Add onions and sauté, continue stirring generously, until softened. Stir in celery with salt to taste and sauté, stirring, until onions begin to turn golden brown, about 7 minutes.Stir in Arborio rice and cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly, 2 minutes. Add wine, thyme, and pepper to taste and cook, stirring constantly, until wine is absorbed. Stir in 1 cup hot broth and simmer, stirring frequently, until broth is absorbed. Continue adding broth, 1 cup at a time, and simmering, stirring frequently and letting each addition be absorbed before adding the next, until rice is tender but still al dente and creamy-looking and liquid is absorbed, 20 to 22 minutes. Toward end of cooking, stir in wild rice.Remove pot from heat and stir in Parmesan, parsley, and salt and pepper to taste. Cool risotto and chill, covered, at least 4 hours and up to 12. Bring risotto to room temperature before proceeding with recipe.
Cake DirectionsLightly beat yolks and stir into room temperature risotto. Beat whites and a pinch of salt with an electric mixer until they just hold stiff peaks. Stir half of whites into risotto to lighten slightly and fold in remaining whites. Let batter stand at room temperature 15 minutes before proceeding.Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderate heat until hot but not smoking. Scoop 4 (rounded ¼-cup) mounds of batter into skillet, flattening with back of a spoon to form cakes 3 inches across by ½ inch thick. Cook cakes until golden brown on underside (this is critical to prevent cakes from breaking when turning), adjusting heat if browning too quickly, 5 minutes. Carefully turn cakes over with a metal spatula and cook until golden brown on underside, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer as browned to a large shallow baking pan and arrange in one layer. Make more cakes in same manner, wiping skillet clean with paper towels between batches and adding more oil as necessary.Preheat oven to 450°F.Just before serving, bake risotto cakes until sizzling, about 6 minutes. Serve hot.
Tenderloin DirectionsTrim any unwanted fat from the tenderloin. Toss venison with garlic, savory, wine, allspice, peppercorns and ¼ cup oil in a seal-able bag. Marinate, chilled, turning the bag occasionally for at least 8 hours. Bring venison to room temperature, about 1 hour before cooking. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F with rack in middle. Discard marinade and pat meat dry. Sprinkle on all sides with 1 tablespoon kosher salt, then ½ teaspoon ground pepper. Heat remaining 1 ½ tablespoons oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers, then brown meat on all sides in 2 or 3 batches, 3 to 4 minutes per batch.
Transfer to a shallow baking pan. Roast until venison registers 125°F on an instant-read thermometer (inserted 2 inches horizontally into meat) for rare, about 5 to 8 minutes (depending on thickness of meat). Let stand on a cutting board 10 minutes before slicing across the grain.
Vegetable DirectionsWhile the chosen meat is cooking chop potatoes into 1 inch segments and mix in a bowl with the other vegetables. Coat baking pan with olive oil and lay the vegetables flat in the pan. Season with your favorite spices, salt and pepper. Roast vegetables for 20 minutes at 350 degrees F or 10-15 minutes at 450 degrees F.
DirectionsPreheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C), and grease an 8 inch square baking dish. Place peaches in the bottom of the baking dish, and sprinkle them with almond extract. In a bowl combine the flour, sugar, oats, cinnamon and salt. Cut the butter into the dry mixture with a pastry cutter until the mixture resembles crumbs. Sprinkle the dry/butter mixture in an even layer over the top of the peaches and bake in the oven for about 45 minutes or until the peaches are bubbling and the topping is browned. Best served warm.
