Off the Vine Newsletter #90

That’s right, I’m talkin’ ’bout beef. And there’s no beef I’d rather have more for dinner than the 100% grass-fed beef sold by Don and Marilyn Dralle of CC Angus Beef LLC, who have been vendors at the Northside Farmer’s Market for the past seven years!

When you stop by their booth this Sunday, you will not only get an education on beef cuts and succulent preparation techniques, which I personally always look forward to and find very helpful in my ever persistent aspirations of becoming a true foodie, but you will also receive a quality product of lean, 100% pasture-raised beef that is always free of antibiotics, hormones, nitrates and msg.

CC Angus, who call beautiful Mineral Point, Wisconsin home, prides themselves of offering more than 30 cuts of beef, and just in time for the holidays I might add! You should look forward to their specialty holiday roasts which will be available starting December 18th. Your family will pull up a little closer to the table (not to mention buckling their belt a little looser) when you serve up their boneless prime rib or bone-in standing rib roasts at your upcoming holiday soire. You can also guarantee satisfaction with their always popular tenderloin and the very reasonably priced eye-of-the-round cuts.

With the bustle of winter blowing into Wisconsin you ‘d be surprised at the hustle that life on the ranch still brings during these cold winter months. The Dralle family, who just finished breeding for the fall, must continue tending to their lot of approximately 8o cattle, including young stock, throughout the winter. Their pasture-raised winter methods allow the burly beef cattle to graze on stockpile sections of dormant 4” clover, as well as preset rounds of forage bails, which were made over the summer. This method is not only good for cattle but also promotes water quality, even fertilization and sustainable land use.

When you stop by the indoor Northside Market this Sunday, don’t forget to pick up some of CC Angus’ all beef summer sausage and snack sticks for this kids stockings! And if for some reason you can’t make it Sunday, Don and Marilyn will also be at Hilldale every Saturday between 8-2pm through April 29th, just in time for the Northside Market to start up again!

Holiday Peace Wreath Drawing

One of our vendors, Juan Gonzales, from Los Abuelos Farley Farm is creating and selling Peace Wreaths – all for the benefit of the Wisconsin Network for Peace and Justice. The 22” diameter wreath is made in Madison using a variety of fresh local evergreens, pine cones, and berries, all sustainably harvested. The NFM is offering one of these wreaths in a drawing. How to enter? Just come to the market and put your name in. Drawing will happen at the end of the December 4 market with the winner announced in our newsletter. The winner of this beautiful wreath can pick it up on the last market on December 20.

This recipe was a hit at my family’s Thanksgiving feast this last weekend and will definitely serve your family and friends well at your next holiday get-together. Simple and easy to make, this side dish is also easily adaptable to your personal and creative tastes just by adding a little of this and a little of that… Bon Apetite!

Potiron rôti (Roasted Pumpkin Stuffed with Bread and Gruyère Cheese)

Recipe and intro by Michael Krondl – WPR guest (July 7, 2001)

I learned how to make this fabulous dish from Alain Senderens, one of France’s renowned three-star chefs. If you can only find big pumpkins, increase the filling and cooking time proportionately.

1 cooking pumpkin of about 5 pounds

1/2 pound loaf of French or Italian country-style bread

1 cup crème fraîche (recipe from HYPERLINK “http://homecooking.about.com/cs/atozfoodindex/ht/creme_fraiche.htm”about.com)

1 cup whipping cream mixed with 2 tablespoons buttermilk.

Combine well in glass jar and cover.

Let stand at room temperature (about 70 degrees F.) for 8 to 24 hours, or until thickened.

Stir well and refrigerate.

Use within 10 days.

8 ounces grated Gruyère cheese (* several Wisconsin companies offer Gruyère at markets and stores)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Salt and black pepper

* I also used organic walnuts, organic dried cranberries, Rosemary bread (instead of French) and fresh sage for an added holiday touch*

Rinse the outside of the pumpkin and wipe dry. Using a sharp knife, and cutting at a slight angle so that the tip of the knife is angled downwards into the vegetable, cut off the top 1/4 of the pumpkin to form a lid. Using a large spoon scrape out the seeds.

Cut the bread into thin slices and toast until golden brown. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Line the pumpkin cavity with one layer of the bread, spread with 4 tablespoons of the crème fraîche, 1/4 of the cheese and a generous sprinkle of salt and freshly ground pepper. Continue layering (4 layers in all) finishing with the Gruyère. Set the top back on the pumpkin.

Cut a piece of aluminum foil large enough to wrap the entire pumpkin. Brush the pumpkin lightly with the oil. Wrap the pumpkin with the foil and place on a baking pan. Set in the oven and bake about 1 hour 40 minutes. The pumpkin will be done when the outside skin has softened and a very sharp knife can easily pierce through to the interior flesh.

Remove from the oven, take off the foil and place the pumpkin on a serving platter. Carefully remove the lid and using a large spoon stir the interior mixture making sure to incorporate the pumpkin into the other ingredients. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper if necessary. Serve hot.

Serves 4 to 6