Tidewater Kitchen - Holiday Feast: Pamela Meredith

Holiday Feast

The most difficult thing about organizing a Christmas celebration isn’t the decorating or wrapping of gifts. It’s planning and sorting through your family’s favorite recipes to organize your dinner menu. It needs to include tasty and hearty sides, appetizers and Christmas desserts. I hope you find this pleasing meal worth the celebration. So pick out your favorite ideas, write out your menu and enjoy the rest of the season stress free and ready to feast! The sign of a successful dinner party isn’t necessarily a scraped-clean plate, but rather the unapologetic lingering that follows a satisfying meal…

the warm-fuzzy that makes your guests want to stay a little longer to enjoy the conversation and a crackling fire!

LAYERED HUMMUS DIP Yield: 6 cups

This is a colorful dish for the holidays and a nice change from the Mexican layer dip.

1 (8 oz.) package of cream cheese, softened 1 T. fresh lemon juice 1 t. fresh lemon zest 1 T. Italian seasoning 1 (10 oz.) container of your favorite hummus (I love the roasted garlic)

1 cup chopped tomato 1/2 cup bottled pepperoncini peppers, drained and chopped 1/2 cup pitted and halved kalamata olives 1 (4 oz.) container crumbled feta cheese 1/4 cup unpeeled cucumber, finely chopped 1/4 cup chopped green onion

Beat the cream cheese, lemon juice, lemon zest and Italian seasoning together in a bowl until smooth. Spread the cream cheese mixture in your favorite, dish or pie pan. Then spread the hummus. Sprinkle the tomato, pepperoncini, kalamata olives, feta cheese, cucumber and green onion on top. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Serve with large corn, tortilla chips, vegetables or your favorite crackers

EASY SWEET POTATO SOUP

This recipe makes 8 cups

This soup can be made up to two days ahead.

3 T. butter 1 medium onion, chopped 2 garlic cloves, minced 6 cups chicken stock 3 large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced 1 cup apple cider 1 t. minced canned chipotle pepper in adobo sauce 1 t. kosher salt

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat; add onion and sauté about 6 minutes, until tender and golden brown. Add the garlic, and sauté 1 minute. Stir in the broth, sweet potatoes, apple cider, chipotle pepper and kosher salt. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat for 20 minutes until the potatoes are fork-tender.

Allow to cool for about 20 minutes, and process the mixture with a handheld blender or in a food processor or blender until smooth. Then refrigerate until ready to serve.

Just before serving, warm the soup over low heat, stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes or until heated all the way through. Whisk together the lime juice, zest and sour cream, and drizzle each serving with the mixture.

2 T. fresh lime juice 1/2 cup sour cream

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PEAR and ARUGULA SALAD with BLUE CHEESE

Serves 8 1/4 cup pear preserves, homemade is best 1/2 cup champagne vinegar 1 shallot, minced 1 t. kosher salt 2 t. Dijon mustard 1/2 t. pepper 1/2 cup olive oil 8 cups arugula, loosely packed 2 Bartlett pears, cut into 6 wedges each

5 oz. crumbled blue cheese

In a blender or food processor, add the preserves, vinegar, shallot, salt, pepper and mustard. Blend until smooth, about 30 seconds. While the food processor or blender is running, pour the oil through the food chute in a slow stream. I love to store it in a mason jar and use when I’M ready. This will keep in the refrigerator for a month.

ROASTED WINTER VEGETABLES with

FRESH CRANBERRIES Serves 8

For an easy make-ahead dish, roast the day before or two and just reheat when you put the roast in the oven.

4 large carrots, peeled, halved lengthwise and cut in about 1-inch chunks 3 large turnips , peeled and cut into

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1-inch pieces 1 pound Brussels sprouts, halved and quartered 1 T. minced rosemary 4 T. olive oil 1 t. kosher salt 1 t. cracked pepper 1 cup fresh or thawed frozen cranberries Optional: 2 T. local honey or molasses

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and lightly grease a large jellyroll pan. Mix the carrots, turnips, Brussels sprouts, rosemary, olive oil, salt and pepper. Place on the pan and roast for 30 minutes. Once the vegetables are golden brown and tender, add the cranberries and roast for another 5 minutes.

Remove the vegetables from the oven and cool. Place in the refrigerate until ready to reheat. Optional: you can drizzle with 2 tablespoons local honey or molasses.

PORK ROAST with SWEET ONION-PUMPKIN SEED RELISH Serves 8

Be sure to ask your butcher to cut out the chine bone and to french the rib rack for easy carving and an elegant presentation.

2 t. kosher salt 1 t. pepper 1 (5 lbs.) 8-rib bone-in pork loin roast, chine bone removed 1 T. minced fresh rosemary 4 t. minced fresh thyme, divided 3 large sweet onions, cut into halfinch-thick rings 2 T. olive oil 1 t. white wine vinegar

1 t. light brown sugar 1/2 cup toasted pumpkin seeds

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Sprinkle the pork with salt and pepper, then rub all over with rosemary and thyme. Place in a lightly greased roasting pan. Toss the onions in the olive oil and then arrange around the pork.

Bake for 30 minutes; reduce the oven to 375 degrees. Bake another 50 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted into thickest portion registers 145 degrees. While baking, stir onions once. Transfer pork to a cutting board; cover loosely with aluminum foil, and let stand 10 minutes before slicing.

In the meantime, coarsely chop the onions, and stir in the vinegar, brown sugar and pumpkin seeds. Mix together and serve with the pork as a relish.

WILD RICE with BACON Serves 8

For the best texture, use wild rice, not a blend.

1-1/3 cups uncooked wild rice 4 bacon slices 2 T. olive oil 1 large fennel bulb, thinly sliced 1 large onion, cut into thin wedges 2 garlic cloves, minced 1/2 cup reduced sodium chicken broth 1/2 t. kosher salt 1/2 t. freshly ground pepper 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley 1 T. white wine vinegar 1/2 cup chopped toasted walnuts or

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Cook the wild rice according to package directions, then drain.

Meanwhile, cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat for 7 minutes until crispy. Drain bacon on a paper towel and then chop.

Sauté the fennel bulb and onion in the olive oil for about 5 minutes until tender. Add the garlic, and sauté for another minute. Add the broth and next 3 ingredients, then bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 8 minutes. Stir in bacon and cook for another 3 minutes.

Place in a large serving bowl. Stir in the chopped parsley, walnuts and vinegar right before serving. Enjoy.

GINGERBREAD SOUFFLES Serves 10

This impressive dessert isn’t as difficult as you think ~ just make sure you plan ahead. Preheat the oven and pop the souffles in right before sitting down for dinner. When they are done, serve them all puffed up and beautiful.

1/4 cup all-purpose flour 1/4 t. salt 1/3 cup molasses 2 T. butter, softened 2 t. pumpkin pie spice 1 t. ginger 2 t. vanilla extract

ank you for making this year so great.... May you and your family have a Very Merry Christmas and Very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

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6 large eggs, separated 1/8 t. cream of tartar Freshly whipped cream and crushed gingersnap cookies

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Whisk together first four ingredients in a medium saucepan until smooth. Bring to a boil over medium heat while whisking. Transfer mixture to a large bowl and whisk in molasses and next 4 ingredients. Cool for 15 minutes and whisk in egg yolks.

Butter ten (7 oz.) ramekins or ovenproof dishes. Sprinkle with sugar and shake out any excess. Beat the egg whites with cream of tartar at high speed with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Fold one-third of egg white mixture into milk mixture until they are well

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blended. Repeat two times with remaining egg white mixture. Spoon batter into prepared dishes, leaving 1/4 inch space at top of each.

Bake at 350 for 25 minutes or until puffy and doesn’t jiggle. Serve immediately with whipped cream and crushed gingersnap cookies.

WHIPPED CREAM

2 cups very cold heavy cream 1 t. vanilla 2 T. powdered sugar

Pour the cold cream into a bowl and beat with an electric mixer until peaks form. Add the vanilla and powdered sugar and whip to mix in. Place in refrigerate until ready to serve. Any leftovers keep for a day in the refrigerator.

A longtime resident of Oxford, Pamela Meredith, formerly Denver’s NBC Channel 9 Children’s Chef, has taught both adult and children’s cooking classes on the south shore of Massachusetts.

For more of Pam’s recipes, visit the Story Archive tab at tidewatertimes.com.

Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas

and Thank You for your business throughout this past year!

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