September 10, 2018
Southern Corn Pudding–a Hallmark of Buckhorn Inn
The recipe that appears below is the original Buckhorn Inn recipe. Adding a tablespoon or so of fresh, chopped thyme adds a modern spin to this classic.
Corn Pudding
2 ½ cups cream-style corn
3 eggs, slightly beaten
2 cups whole milk
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon minced onion
½ green pepper, chopped
2 tablespoons melted butter
Mix ingredients together and bake in a 325 degree oven for an hour. This makes an interesting and colorful way to serve part of the vegetable course for either holiday meals or party fare.
Fallen Chocolate Cake
Cake:
½ cup room temperature unsalted butter, cut into one inch pieces plus more for pan
¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, divided, plus more for pan
10 oz. good quality bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
6 large eggs
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
Topping:
1 cup chilled heavy cream
½ cup mascarpone cheese
3 tablespoons powdered sugar
Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly butter 9 “ springform pan and dust with sugar, tapping out any excess. Combine chocolate, oil and ½ cup butter in a large heatproof bowl. Set over a saucepan of simmering water and heat, stirring often, until melted. Remove bowl from saucepan.
Separate 4 eggs, placing whites and yolks in separate medium bowls. Add cocoa powder, vanilla, salt, ¼ cup sugar and remaining 2 eggs to bowl with yolks and whisk until mixture is smooth. Gradually whisk yolk mixture into chocolate mixture, blending well.
Using an electric mixer on high speed, beat egg whites until frothy. With mixer running, gradually beat in ½ cup sugar; beat until firm peaks form. Gently fold egg whites into chocolate mixture in two additions. Scrape batter into prepared pan, smooth top and sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons sugar. Bake until top is puffed and starting to crack, 35 to 45 minutes.
Transfer to a wire rack and let cake cool completely in pan. Cake will fall as it cools. Whip the topping ingredients until fluffy and pile on the cake.
September 3, 2018
Buchorn Inn Serves Dishes of History
Did you know that according to culinary history the word “succotash” is derived from the Narragansett Indian word msickquatash meaning boiled corn kernels? This simple and delicious dish featuring corn, beans and other vegetables is a nourishing dish of Native American origin. While we don’t know for sure what was on the menu at the first Thanksgiving, many food historians agree that a version of succotash likely was on the table. This dish has been adapted throughout the United States. Many versions have corn, pole or lima beans, green or red peppers, tomatoes, okra and fresh herbs. The ingredients are based on what is fresh and bountiful, so you are not likely to have exactly the same recipe twice.
Chef Frank has succotash on the menu this week, featuring our garden-fresh okra, pole beans, and
The majestic okra plants in the Buckhorn Inn garden beds are 10 feet tall!
herbs. In the Buckhorn Inn garden we are growing Perkins Mammoth Long Pod okra from Burpee Seed Co. The 7″ long pods are tender and delicious. The towering 10′ tall plants are quite a sight in our raised garden beds! We are not certain what ingredients will inspire Chef Frank on Wednesday night, but here is an easy recipe that serves 6. It was adapted from a recipe on http://www.thespruceeats.com.
A Taste of History Succotash
4 cups okra pods, sliced into 1/2″ rounds
3 large tomatoes, seeded and diced
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup sliced pole beans
1 cup corn kernels
1 tablespoon of butter
Combine the okra and tomatoes in a large non-reactive saucepan. Add the salt and pepper and 1/2 cup water or vegetable broth. Cover the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the beans and simmer for another 20 minutes. Add the corn kernels and cook for 20 minutes longer. Add the butter and blend. This makes a delicious hot side dish!
June 25, 2018
Looking Forward to Summer Tomato Soup
One of our favorite things about summer is enjoying a ripe tomato fresh from the garden. The Buckhorn Inn vegetable gardens are doing splendidly and we look forward to a heavy yield. This year we are growing heirloom style gourmet tomatoes from Burpee Seed Company http://www.burpee.com. “Black Krims” have a beautiful dark color and tangy flavor. “Supersteaks” are real giants with a beefsteak flavor. “Big Rainbows” are sweet and mild with yellow and red
The regular rains this year have resulted in a healthy vegetable bed.
streaked flesh. Some consider the “Brandywine Pink” to be the best-tasting heirloom of all time. “Black Pearl” cherry tomatoes are purplish black with a deep, rich, and sweet flavor. We are looking forward to eating these fresh in salads, in a chilled gazpacho, roasted, and in a delicious summer soup.
Tomatoes originated in western South America. The Aztec word tomatl gave way to the Spanish word tomate from which our English word tomato is derived. The indigenous peoples of Mexico began using tomatoes as a cultivated food. The Spanish, during colonization of the Americas, discovered tomatoes and brought them to Europe. Tomatoes are about 95% water and are a good source of vitamin C.
Summer Tomato Soup
Sautee in olive oil until tender:
1 Diced onion
3 Minced garlic cloves
Add:
5-7 Pounds coarsely chopped fresh tomatoes
1 Quart chicken broth
1 Teaspoon dried savory
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 Tablespoon fresh chopped thyme
1/2 Cup tomato paste
Salt and pepper to taste.
Bring to a boil and then simmer for 45 minutes. Strain ingredients in a colander, pressing on vegetables to get all the juice out. Discard vegetables.
Bring to a boil again and add one diced tomato and torn basil and parsley to taste. Correct seasonings. This is delicious served with garlic croutons and shaved parmesan cheese. This recipe yields about eight servings. Please note that this recipe is best when using tomatoes in season. If you make this recipe with out-of-season tomatoes you may want to add some tomato juice to ensure a deep, rich flavor. Enjoy!
May 30, 2018
Try the World’s Best Peanut Butter Cookies
Chef Bob Neisler is rightfully famous for his baked goods–and his cookies are no exception. When these cookies are in the oven, the delightful aroma has guests (and staff!) drooling with anticipation. They freeze well and are great to have on hand for a special treat. Tip: To easily measure out 1/2 cup of peanut butter, fill a glass measuring cup with water to the 1/2 cup mark. Add peanut butter until the level of water reaches one cup. Drain and use the peanut butter in your recipe.
Chef Bob’s peanut butter cookies are irresistible warm from the oven.
Chef Bob’s Peanut Butter Cookies
1 1/4 C Flour
1/2 t Baking soda
1/2 t Baking powder
1/2 C Butter, softened
1/2 C Brown sugar
1/2 C White sugar
1/2 C Smooth peanut butter
1 Egg
1/2 C Peanut butter morsels
1/2 C Semi-sweet chocolate chips
Put the oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 F. Cover a 14″ by 16″ baking sheet with foil, shiny side up, and coat with vegetable spray. You may instead use a silicone liner. Sift together flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Cream butter, brown sugar, white sugar, and peanut butter. Add egg and mix thoroughly. Add sifted dry ingredients. Fold in peanut butter morsels and chocolate chips.
Chill dough in refrigerator for one hour, or until firm enough to handle. With floured hands roll dough into 1″ diameter balls. Place balls on baking sheet two inches apart and flatten with the bottom of a glass dipped in flour. Bake for 12 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from cookie sheet and cool on a wire rack. Store between sheets of waxed or parchment paper in a covered tin. This recipe makes about 24 cookies. Note: These cookies also make delicious ice cream sandwiches. Spread softened vanilla ice cream on the bottom of one cookie and top with a second cookie. Roll the soft edges in chopped peanuts or chocolate sprinkles, and then freeze until firm.
May 7, 2018
Spring Salad Days at Buckhorn Inn
The beautiful salad greens we have been growing in the Buckhorn Inn gardens have made us love our dinner salads even more! This spring we have been harvesting and serving a sweet mesclun mix from Burpee Seed Company http://www.burpee.com. The mix includes Beet Bull’s Blood, Spinach Bloomsdale, Black Seeded Simpson lettuce, Red Salad Bowl lettuce, and Mustard Tendergreen.
Your salad, from the garden to the kitchen to the table.
Soon we will be harvesting our Heatwave mix which includes a blend of crisphead, romaine, and looseleaf types that mature a bit later than the spring mix.
Caesar’s Salad Dressing
Guests love our Caesar salad. It was first made by restaurateur Caesar Cardini in Tijuana. In 1924 a rush of diners depleted his ingredient supply. He made do with what he had and added his own flair by making it tableside. Our version of the tangy dressing omits the raw egg. We recommend you serve it at room temperature on romaine with crisp croutons.
3 Anchovies
1 T Worcestershire sauce
1 T Chopped garlic
1 T Dijon mustard
1/3 C Mayonnaise
1 t Pepper
1 t Salt
1/2 C Lemon juice
1 1/2 C Olive oil
1/2 C Shredded Parmesan cheese
Combine the first 8 ingredients in a food processor. Slowly add the olive oil, processing until creamy. Stir in the parmesan cheese. Makes about 2 1/2 cups.
Lemon Basil Vinaigrette
This is one of Chef Bob’s most popular dressings. We especially like it over a bed of tender spring greens with grilled asparagus and tomatoes.
1/4 C Diced onions
1 T Minced garlic
1 t Dijon Mustard
1/2 C Fresh basil leaves
1 t Salt
1/2 t Pepper
1 T Sugar
1/4 C Mayonnaise
1/2 C Lemon juice
1 1/2 C Combined olive and canola oils
Combine in a food processor, adding the oil slowly at the last. Chill. Makes about 2 cups. We love using the fresh basil from our Buckhorn Inn herb garden for this recipe and many others. When making a basil-based dish, such as a pesto, blanching the basil will help it retain that sunny green color.
We hope you enjoy many salad days ahead!
March 5, 2018
St. Patrick’s Day — Soup Hits the Spot
Although it’s roots are Irish, St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated the world over. The day is marked with parades, green beer, and huge corned beef and cabbage dinners. Contrary to popular belief, however, corned beef is not a traditional dish from Ireland. According to http://www.history.com/news/hungry-history/corned-beef-as -irish-as-spaghetti- and-meatballs,, corned beef and cabbage was a dish developed by Irish immigrants to the United States. Many working-class Irish struggled economically in the New World. “Corning” beef was a way to preserve meat. The taste reminded the Irish newcomers of their beloved boiled bacon from back home. Cabbage was one of the cheapest vegetables in the markets and paired well with the salty spiced beef. When cooked in the same pot, the dish was easy-to-prepare, inexpensive, and delicious! Its roots are so American that the dish was served at President Lincoln’s inauguration dinner in 1862.
Our guests love our corned beef soup, and so will you, whether or not you serve it on St. Patrick’s Day!
Corned Beef Soup for St. Patrick’s Day or Not
2-3 lbs Corned beef
1 cube Beef bouillon
2 cloves Garlic, diced
2 Cloves
3 Carrots, sliced thickly
6 Potatoes, peeled and diced
7 cups Water
1/2 cup Onion, chopped
6 Peppercorns
2 Bay leafs
6 cups Cabbage, coarsely chopped
For a quick version of this soup, purchase pre-cooked corned beef.
Cover corned beef with water in large soup pot. Bring to boil and reduce heat. Simmer for 15 minutes and skim. Add bouillon cube, onion, garlic, peppercorns, cloves and bay leafs. Simmer for 3 to 4 hours until meat is tender. Remove meat from broth and cool. Skim fat from broth.
Cut meat into bite-size pieces and return to broth. Add carrots and potatoes; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Add cabbage and cook for 15 more minutes or until all the vegetables are tender. Remove the peppercorns, cloves and bay leaf before serving. This recipe pairs nicely with soda bread or other rustic bread.
January 23, 2018
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What is better on a cold, wintry day than a bowl or mug of delicious warm soup. The recipe below is one of our guest favorites! Try pairing it with a hearty whole grain bread for a warming lunch. This recipe makes four hearty servings.
Butternut Squash Soup with Apple and Smoked Cheddar
2 T. Extra-virgin olive oil
1 med. Onion, halved and thinly sliced
¾ c. Apple Cider
5 ¼ c. Butternut squash—peeled, seeded and cut into 1” cubes
4 ½ c. Chicken stock
½ c. Heavy cream
2 T. Unsalted butter
1 Apple, cut into ½” pieces
1/3 c. Smoked cheddar cheese, coarsely shredded
Salt and Pepper
Chopped chives for garnish
Heat the olive oil in a large stockpot. Add onion and cook until golden. Add the apple cider and cook until syrupy, about 3 minutes. Add the squash and chicken stock and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer until the squash is very tender, about 40 minutes.
Puree the soup in batches in a blender. Return the soup to the saucepan and stir in the cream. Season with salt and pepper and keep warm.
Heat butter in a medium skillet. Add the diced apple and cook over high heat until the apple is tender and golden around the edges, about 2 minutes.
Season the soup with salt and pepper. Garnish with the cheddar cheese, sautéed apples, and chives.
November 28, 2017
Sugar Cookies Are a Handful of Goodness
Whether you are baking for guests or Santa, the buttery refinement of the sugar cookie can’t be beat!
Lore has it that the first sugar cookies appeared around the seventh century. It is possible that a baker around that time used mini versions of his cakes to test the temperature of his oven. When he began selling these mini-cakes, the sugar cookie was born!
The type of sugar used makes a difference in the texture of the finished cookie. Fine sugar granules will make a cookie that is flatter and crisper. Large sugar granules result in a thicker, chewier cookie. This is because the dissolving of the sugar causes the dough to spread. If the sugar is coarser, it will dissolve more slowly.
Our recipe makes about 4 dozen soft and scrumptious cookies. One way to make them uniquely yours is to use a cookie stamp. The die blocks transfer patterns to the cookies that you can then decorate with food paints and sprinkles. Enjoy!
Buckhorn Inn Sugar Cookies
1 cup Butter, softened
1 cup Vegetable Oil
2 large Eggs
1 cup Granulated Sugar
1 cup Confectioner’s Sugar
2 teaspoons Vanilla
4 ¼ cups All-Purpose Flour
½ teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 teaspoon Cream of Tartar
½ cup additional Granulated Sugar for rolling
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cream butter, oil, eggs, sugars and vanilla. In a separate bowl combine flour, salt, baking soda, and cream of tartar. Add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture. Form into 1 inch balls and roll in granulated sugar. Place the cookies on an ungreased cookie sheet and flatten. Bake 10 to 12 minutes until light, golden brown. Let the cookies cool on the cookie sheet for 2 minutes before placing them on a cooling rack.
November 13, 2017
Dessert Is Always a Guest-Favorite at Buckhorn Inn
Guests tell us that dessert is a highlight of any Buckhorn Inn dinner. And why not! With such delights as coconut cream pie, apple-cranberry crisp, and our special “that” chocolate cake, all dinners end on a sweet note. But have you ever wondered about the history of dessert?
How Dessert Came to Be
Ancient peoples enjoyed dried fruits and nuts candied with honey. However it was not until the production of sugar that sweet dishes became popular parts of a meal. Sugar was expensive, so sweet treats were reserved, for the most part, for the wealthy and special occasions.
Desserts include pies, cakes, puddings, fruits, ice creams, and other sweet treats.
In Medieval Europe, sweet and savory dishes were served alongside each other. It was not until the 1600’s that service a la francaise (serving all dishes at once) became replaced with service a la russe (serving one course after another) and sweets claimed their place as the final course of a meal.
It was at that time that the word “dessert” came into popular use. The word comes from the French word “dessirvir” which means “to clear the table”. In other words, desserts were served after the table was cleared of main dishes. For more information on some of your favorite meal-enders, visit http://www.history.com/news/hungry-history/category/desserts
The recipe for one of our guest-favorites appears below. Enjoy!
Brown Butter Almond Torte with Sour Cherry Sauce
This torte is a favorite dessert at the Buckhorn Inn.
Torte
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup blanched almonds
1/2 cup AP flour
1 cup sugar
3/4 tsp salt
6 large egg whites
1/3 cup sliced almonds
Preheat oven to 375 F. Butter and flour a 9″ round cake pan. Melt butter over moderately low heat. Continue to cook until golden brown with a nutlike fragrance. Cool and then stir in vanilla. In a food processor finely grind blanched almonds with flour, 2/3 c. sugar, and 1/2 tsp salt. With an electric mixer beat egg whites and remaining 1/4 tsp salt until they hold soft peaks. Gradually add remaining 1/3 cup sugar, beating until meringue holds stiff peaks. Fold in almond mixture. Then fold in butter mixture. Batter will deflate. Spread batter into cake pan and top with sliced almonds. Bake 35-40 minutes until tester comes out clean. Cool in pan on a rack 15 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely.
Sour Cherry Sauce
3 cups sour cherries, pitted. (about 1 1/2 lbs.)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1 tsp cornstarch
Bring cherries, sugar and water to a boil. In a cup stir together cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water until dissolved. Stir into cherry mixture. Simmer sauce 2 minutes and cool to room temperature. This recipe makes 6-8 servings.
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