Recipes from James Ranch

Carrot Soufflé

This soufflé isn’t nearly as touchy as a traditional soufflé. In fact it’s hard to mess up. It barely puffs up, which means it doesn’t deflate that much either. You might want to experiment a bit with the seasonings, such as some ground or fresh minced ginger, some thyme, a little orange zest, or a pinch of coriander.

Serves 8

2 lbs carrots, peeled, sliced into 1/2-inch rounds
Salt for salting cooking water
1 cup whole milk
1 cup Saltine cracker crumbs
3/4 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
1/3 cup minced onion
1 Tbsp room temperature unsalted butter
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 large eggs

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a 2-quart baking dish and set aside.
Place carrots in a saucepan and cover with an inch of water. Add about 1 teaspoon of salt to the water. Bring to a boil and cook for about 10 minutes, or until the carrots are tender. Strain the carrots and purée in a food processor or with an immersion blender.
Place carrot purée in a large bowl. Slowly add in the milk, a little at a time, whisking after each addition so that the mixture stays smooth, not lumpy. Mix in the saltine cracker crumbs, the grated cheese, onion, butter, Kosher salt, cayenne, and black pepper.
In a separate bowl, whip up the eggs until frothy. Then whisk them into the carrot purée mixture.
Transfer the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Bake for 40-45 minutes, until puffed up a bit and lightly golden.

(Via By Sam Beall, author of The Blackberry Farm Cookbook: Four Seasons of Great Food and the Good Life)

Five-Minute Beets

If you don’t mind the shocking color, you can stir in a tablespoon of yogurt or sour cream, always a good-tasting addition to beets. Variation: Cook the beets in fresh orange juice instead of water.

4 beets, about 1 pound
1 tablespoon butter
Salt and freshly milled pepper
Lemon juice or vinegar to taste
2 tablespoons chopped parsley, tarragon, dill or other herb

Instructions

Grate beets into coarse shreds. Melt the butter in a skillet, add the beets, and toss them with ½ teaspoon salt and pepper to taste.
Add ¼ cup water, then cover the pan and cook over medium heat until the beets are tender. Remove the lid and raise the heat to boil off any excess water. Taste for salt season with a little lemon juice or vinegar – balsamic or red wine is good – and toss with the herb.

Tomatoes Glazed with Balsamic Vinegar

Serves 4 as a side dish

1 ½ pounds ripe but firm tomatoes
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 plump shallot, finely diced
Salt and fresh pepper

Instructions

Core the tomatoes, then cut them into wedges about 1 ½ inches across at the widest point.
In a skillet large enough to hold the tomatoes in a single layer, heat the butter until it foams. Add the tomatoes and sauté over high heat, turning them over several times until their color begins to dull. About 3 minutes. Add the vinegar and shallot and shake the pan back and forth until the vinegar has reduced, leaving a dark, thick sauce.
Season with salt and plenty of pepper.

Tomatoes Provencal

4 medium or 8 small, firm, ripe tomatoes
3 to 4 garlic cloves to taste
1 cup parsley leaves, preferably flat-leaf
3 tablespoons chopped basil
¾ cup bread crumbs made from day-old bread
Salt and freshly milled pepper
Extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly oil a gratin dish. Cut the tomatoes in half around their equators and gently remove the seeds with your fingertips.
Chop the garlic, parsley, and basil together, then mix them with the breadcrumbs and season well with salt and pepper.
Lightly fill the tomatoes with this mixture, set them in the gratin dish and thread olive oil generously over their tops. Bake for 30 minutes. They’ll be soft, so remove them carefully from the dish.