Seasonal Four-Course Tasting Menu
Check out this Boston Public Market-inspired Four-Course Tasting Menu! Recipes provided by Shadeah Suleiman of Stillman’s Farm.
Appetizer
Roasted Beets with Farmer’s Cheese, Walnuts, and Spicy Microgreens
Beets, assortment of colors
Hancock Farm plain farmer’s cheese
Q’s salted, roasted walnuts (almonds or pistachios)
Stillman’s spicy microgreens
Rita’s White French Dressing
Preheat oven to 400F. Wrap in aluminum foil after seasoning with olive oil and roast for approximately 50 min or until tender. Peel the beets and cut into large wedges. Arrange beet wedges on a plate and sprinkle atop with dressing. (If making own dressing, whisk extra virgin olive oil into balsamic vinegar and Dijon mustard in ¼ cup, ¼ cup, 1 tsp proportions, respectively.) Dollop each wedge with farmer’s cheese, and garnish with spicy microgreens and chopped walnuts.
Pasta Course
Spaghetti in Butternut Vodka Cream Sauce
3 spaghetti bundles (Nella pasta)
1 medium shallot, minced
4 cups butternut squash, peeled and diced
⅓ cup Stillman’s tomato sauce
Stillman’s microbasil
⅓ cup vodka
¾ cup Appleton heavy cream
1 cup Asiago cheese (Appleton), grated
(reserve some for garnish)
Cayenne pepper
Sage
Thyme
Ground nutmeg
Olive oil
Butter
Salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 375F. Season diced squash with olive oil, salt and pepper, cayenne, and spread onto a parchment lined baking pan. Roast until tender (25-30 min). Put a large pot of water on to boil for the pasta. In a saucepan with butter and olive oil, cook minced shallot, seasoned with sage and thyme, until golden. Add the tomato sauce, vodka, roasted butternut, heavy cream, cheese, and ground nutmeg. When the water comes to a boil, cook the fresh pasta for tops 2 minutes, then strain. Do not wash the pasta. Add the pasta into the saucepan to continue cooking for a minute more in the sauce. When plating, garnish with more grated cheese and microbasil.
Main Course
Pan-seared Scallops with Parsnip-Apple Purée
Parsnip-Apple Purée:
Olive oil
2 ½ tbsp butter
½ yellow onion, diced
½ pound (2-3 medium) parsnips, peeled and diced
1 small honeycrisp apple, peeled and diced
2 garlic cloves, diced
½ tsp thyme leaves (Chestnut Farms)
½ cup vegetable stock
½ cup heavy cream (Appleton)
Salt and pepper
Preheat the oven to 375F. Season the parsnips with salt, pepper, and thyme and spread onto a parchment or foil lined baking sheet. Do the same for the apples, onion, and garlic, on a second sheet. Cook until tender and browned (20-30 min). While the vegetables are roasting in the oven, allow the stock to slowly simmer on the stovetop and reduce slightly. Using an immersion or standing blender, puree the vegetables with the stock and cream.
Scallops:
Scallops (Red’s Best)
Olive Oil
Butter
Salt and pepper
In a saute pan, heat butter and vegetable oil on high heat. Ensure the scallops are not wet by patting them dry with a paper towel. Sear the scallops for 2 minutes on each side, making sure not to overcrowd the pan. Season each side while searing.
Garnish:
Panko bread crumbs
Candied hazelnuts (Q’s nuts)
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
In the pre-heated 375F oven, toast panko bread crumbs with some olive oil, salt, and pepper. Crush the candied hazelnuts and mix with panko.
Plate by serving scallops over the puree and garnishing with the toasted panko-hazelnut mixture.
Dessert
Spiced Wine and Butter Roasted Pears
- Adapted from a recipe by Inspired Taste
4 Bosc pears, semi-firm
Powdered sugar
3 tbsp butter
¾ cup dry white wine, e.g. Riesling (MA Wine Shop)
Star Anise
Cinnamon Stick
Cloves
1 tbsp Rose water or ¼ tsp vanilla extract
Salt
Vanilla ice cream (Crescent Ridge Farms)
Or Whipped cream (Appleton), for serving
Preheat the oven to 400F. Cut the pears into quarters and remove the cores. Dab the cut sides of the pears into the powdered sugar and brown in a Dutch oven with butter. When cut sides are caramelized, add wine and flavorings to the pot and roast uncovered in the oven for 15-20 min. Serve with Crescent Ridge ice cream or whipped cream and drizzle with the thickened wine syrup.