Think Outside the Barn

Friday Fixin's - Elderberry Coffee Barbecue Sauce

Attending the First International Symposium on Elderberry this week made us think about a great recipe that you can make with Dad this weekend for Father's Day and incorporate a little of this native plant (Sambucus Canadensis).

This sauce works great with beef, chicken or pork. And if you're gathering ingredients for this sauce, you can buy elderberry jelly from AgriMissouri member River Hills Harvest of Hartsburg, Mo., which has 37 acres of elderberries growing and produces jelly, juice and cordial. 

Ingredients
1 ½  T coconut oil or oil of your choice
1 ½  small red onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped
1 T ground coriander
1 T ground cumin

1 T chili powder
1 jar Elderberry jelly or jam
½ cup ketchup
2 T Worcestershire
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
½ cup red wine or sherry vinegar
¾ cup strong coffee or 1 T espresso powder + ¾ cup water

 
Preparation
To prepare sauce: Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and just starting to brown, 2 to 4 minutes. Add garlic and jalapeño and spices and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add elderberry jam, ketchup, Worcestershire, the vinegars and coffee. Simmer, partially covered, for 30 minutes adding more coffee if sauce becomes too dry.

Recipe and image from Elderberry Life.

Friday Fixin's - Strawberry Coffee Cake

Strawberries are in season! You can find them at your favorite Missouri farmers' market, U-pick Farm, and maybe even in your own backyard. Coffee cake is great for dessert or breakfast - especially with a mug of freshly roasted coffee.  This recipe has a few steps, but it will definitely be worth the time.

Strawberries are typically available from late May through June, so get them while they're here. Eat them fresh or incorporate them into a recipe. They work great in anything from salads and desserts tobaked goods, jams and jellies.

Strawberry Filling
2 cups sliced strawberries
1/4 cup water
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch

Combine the strawberries and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook 5 minutes. Mix the sugar and cornstarch together. Add to the strawberries. Return to a boil, stirring constantly and cook for one minute. It will be very thick. Transfer to a small bowl; cover with film and cool. Refrigerate several hours or overnight.

Crumb Topping
1/3 cup sugar
4 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg yolk
2/3 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup cake flour

If you use a mixer:  The butter should be soft. Cream the sugar and butter until light. Add the vanilla and egg yolk and beat until fluffy. Mix the flours together and add all at once. Mix only until large crumbs form. Do not over beat or it will turn or a paste. Store in the refrigerator, if not using immediately.  

If you use a processor:  The butter should be cold and cut into small pieces. Place the flours in the processor bowl. Process briefly to mix. Add the cold, cut butter and process briefly to cut in. Mix the egg yolk and vanilla and pour over the flour mixture. Pulse to make large crumbs. If it doesn’t form crumbs, add 1 tablespoon water and pulse. Add additional water by teaspoons if necessary. Store in the refrigerator until needed.

Coffeecake
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon almond extract
3 eggs
1 1/4 cups sour cream

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottom of a 9x3 inch cheesecake or springmold pan with parchment. Spray the parchment. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside. In a mixing bowl, combine the butter, sugar, vanilla and almond extract. Cream until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each one. The mixture may curdle but that is fine. Add half the flour, mixing well on low. Add all the sour cream, mixing completely on low. Add the remainder of the flour and mix well. This batter will be very thick.

Place the batter in the pan and level it. With the back of a soup spoon, make deep indents in the batter but do not go to the bottom of the pan. Spoon the strawberry filling into the divots. With a small icing spatula or table knife, swirl the strawberry filling into the coffeecake batter, but do not go to the bottom of the pan. Smooth the top and add the crumbs, pressing them in lightly.

Bake for 55 to 65 minutes until a tester comes out clean. The cake will be golden brown under the crumbs. Cool completely; release the cake and dust with powdered sugar.

Recipe and image from St. Louis Magazine.

Friday Fixin's - Easy Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

If you're thinking of an easy meal for the weekend, try this pulled pork recipe. Made in a slow cooker, the meat stays tender and juicy. Try AgriMissouri member Blues Hog sauces to add to your recipe. They sell sauces by the pint, quart or gallon, so regardless of the size of your crowd, they've got you covered. Use a locally sourced pork and serve with cole slaw made with cabbage and fresh baked sandwich buns from your favorite Missouri farmers' market for a truly local meal. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS

• 2 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced
• 4 medium garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 cup chicken stock or low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon packed dark brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 (4-1/2- to 5-pound) boneless or bone-in pork shoulder (also known as pork butt), twine or netting removed
• 2 cups barbecue sauce

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Place the onions and garlic in an even layer in the slow cooker and pour in the stock or broth. Combine the sugar, chili powder, measured salt, cumin, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Pat the pork dry with paper towels. Rub the spice mixture all over the pork and place the meat on top of the onions and garlic. Cover and cook until the pork is fork tender, about 6 to 8 hours on high or 8 to 10 hours on low.
2. Turn off the slow cooker and remove the pork to a cutting board. Set a fine-mesh strainer over a medium heatproof bowl. Pour the onion mixture from the slow cooker through the strainer and return the solids to the slow cooker. Set the strained liquid aside.
3. If the pork has a bone, remove and discard it. Using 2 forks, shred the meat into bite-sized pieces, discarding any large pieces of fat. Return the shredded meat to the slow cooker, add the barbecue sauce, if using, and mix to combine. If you’re not using barbecue sauce, use a spoon to skim and discard the fat from the surface of the strained cooking liquid, and then add 1/4 cup of the liquid at a time to the slow cooker until the pork is just moistened. Taste and season with salt as needed.

Recipe and image from chow.com.

Friday Fixin's - Thai Grilled Chicken

If you want a little kick to your Memorial Day Weekend barbecue, try this tasty Thai grilled chicken recipe. You can substitute AgriMissouri member Wicked Cactus, LLC's Cobra Venom for the Chili Lime Sauce recipe and add brown sugar, chilis or fish sauce to taste. Featured in AgriMissouri's May Gift Guide, Wicked Cactus is a family owned St. Louis business and features nine varieties of hot sauces with heat ratings from one to five. Their featured salsa Sangre del Sol even won the 2011 Weekend of Fire People's Choice Award.

Serve your Thai chicken with a fresh lettuce and mixed green salad picked from your garden or favorite Missouri farmers' market. Relax, unwind and enjoy the weekend grilling out with family and friends with some local flavor.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Serves 2 - Double up for family serving size

Ingredients:
Chicken - Approx. 1/2 lb chicken thighs or breast, or chicken pieces of your choice

Marinade:
4 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1+1/2 tsp. ground white pepper (look for it in your spice aisle, OR substitute 1 tsp. black pepper)
2 Tbsp. fish sauce
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 tsp. dark soy sauce
3 Tbsp. sherry (or cooking sherry)
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice

Easy Chili-Lime Sauce:
1/4 cup fresh lime juice (juice of 1 lime)
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 Tbsp. fish sauce
2 Tbsp. shallot OR purple onion, finely minced
1 minced red chili, OR 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

Preparation:
Stir all marinade ingredients together until well mixed and sugar has dissolved. Pour marinade over chicken pieces. Turn and stir the chicken in the marinade. Allow chicken to marinate at least 30 minutes, up to 24 hours (covered and in the refrigerator). Barbecue chicken over a hot grill. Brush with some of the leftover marinade from the bottom of the bowl the first time you turn the chicken pieces.
Continue grilling until chicken is well cooked (inner flesh should be opaque and juices should run clear).

To make the chili-lime sauce:
Taste-test the sauce. It should taste tangy and spicy - a balance of sour and sweet, salty and spicy. If you prefer it sweeter, add more sugar. Add more fresh chili or cayenne if you prefer it spicier. If you'd like it saltier, add more fish sauce.

Serve the barbecue chicken together with the sauce. Simply stir all sauce ingredients together in a small bowl until the brown sugar dissolves. Note that this sauce does not need to be cooked or heated.

Recipe and image from thaifood.about.com

Friday Fixin's - Stringbean Coffee Smoke & Fire Cookies

If you're thinking about what you could do with your three month Stringbean Coffee Company subscription that you found on the AgriMissouri May Gift Guide, here's a great recipe to try. Sweet and spicy, these cookies will make a great after-dinner treat with a hot cup of coffee. Stringbean Coffee has been in business since 2011 and got its start doing live roasts at farmers' markets. Today they are collaborating with several local businesses to incorporate Stringbean Coffee into things like Kakao chocolate, The Caramel House caramels and O'Fallon Brewery Cocoa Latte Stout. With nine different beans and blends, you can definitely find the flavor and intensity that you want for drinking, baking or both. Enjoy!

Yield - 20 cookies

• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 oz 60 percent bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 2 oz unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 1 Tbsp finely ground Stringbean Sumatra coffee
• 1 Tbsp hot water
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1½ cups all-purpose flour
• ½ cup cocoa powder
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 pinch salt
• 2½ cups granulated sugar
• 5 large eggs
• 10 oz 80 percent bittersweet chocolate chips
• 2 Tbsp puréed chipotle peppers in adobo sauce

Preparation

• Preheat oven to 350ºF
• Place butter, bittersweet chocolate chunks and unsweetened chocolate chunks in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high for 1 minute, until chocolate is almost melted, then stir until smooth
• Combine ground coffee with hot water and stir until dissolved
• Stir coffee and vanilla extract into the melted chocolate
• In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt and set aside
• In a separate bowl, combine sugar and eggs and beat with an electric mixer on high speed for 6 minutes, until the mixture is thick and pale
• Gently stir ¼ of the egg mixture into the melted-chocolate mixture
• Add the chocolate mixture to the remaining egg mixture
• Stir in dry ingredients, chocolate chips and chipotle purée
• Line baking sheets with parchment paper
• Drop dough by heaping tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart on prepared sheets
• Bake for 15 minutes or until set
• Let cookies cool for 1 minute on the baking sheets, and then remove to wire racks to cool completely

Recipe from Feast Saint Louis and image from Food Gal.

Friday Fixin's - Wrapped Brie with Pepper Jelly

For a fancier twist on your traditional pepper jelly and cream cheese served with crackers, try this wrapped brie with pepper jelly recipe. AgriMissouri member, Pappy's Gourmet, is featured in our May Gift Guide and has four varieties of pepper jellies: Sweet Green Pepper Jelly, Raspberry Jalapeno Jelly, Strawberry Jalapeno Jelly and Blackberry Habanero Jelly. Pappy's Gourmet suggests this recipe on their website and any of these varieties would work well with this recipe.

If you want to get a Missouri cheese to go with this recipe, try Green Dirt Farm's Wooly Rind sheep's milk cheese or Baetje Farms' Sainte Genevieve. Serve with fresh fruit for a delicious Mother's Day appetizer.

Ingredients

1/2 of a 17.3-ounce package Puff Pastry Sheets (1 sheet), thawed according to package
directions
1 (8-ounce) Brie cheese round (or another soft rind cheese of your choice)
4 oz Pappy’s Gourmet Pepper Jelly
1 egg
1 tbsp. water

Directions

Heat the oven to 400°F. Unfold the pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface. Pour Pepper Jelly
onto pastry. Place the cheese in the center over the jelly. Fold the pastry up over the cheese to
cover. Trim the excess pastry and press to seal.

Beat the egg and water in a small bowl with a fork. Brush the seam of the pastry with the egg
mixture. Place seam-side down onto a baking sheet. Brush with the egg mixture.

Bake for 25 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown. Let stand for 20 minutes before serving.

Recipe from pappysgourmet.com and image from pillsbury.com.

Friday Fixin's - Bacon Wrapped Asparagus

Asparagus is in season, so why not add a little bacon to them for a great appetizer? Buy fresh asparagus from your local Missouri Farmers' Market and try adding Stonie's Sausage Shop Specialty Bacon - as featured in our AgriMissouri May Gift Guide.

This is the perfect starter or side dish to a perfect meal, fresh and local!

Ingredients

• 10 fresh asparagus spears, trimmed
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 5 bacon strips, halved lengthwise


Directions

• Place asparagus on a sheet of waxed paper; coat with cooking spray.
• Sprinkle with pepper; turn to coat. Wrap a bacon piece around each
• spear; secure ends with toothpicks.
• Grill, uncovered, over medium heat for 4-6 minutes on each side or until bacon is crisp.
  
• Discard toothpicks. Yield: 2-3 servings.

Recipe and image from tasteofhome.com.

Friday Fixin's - Boneless Pork Loin with Apple Cider

Looking for a great weekend dinner? Look no further. Here's a great take on a classic pork loin from Circle B Ranch. Circle B is featured in our Spring Gift Guide and this is one of the recipes they share on their website.

Serve it with brussel sprouts and apple sauce (Circle B has a couple of great recipes for those too). If you dry your own herbs or purchase them from your favorite Missouri farmers' market, this is the perfect recipe to use them. The herb paste adds great flavor to the pork. 

Ingredients

• 1 4-5 lb Berkshire Boneless Pork Loin
• 2 Large Onions (sliced)
• 1 Sprig Thyme
• 3 Bay Leaves
• 1 Quart Apple Cider
• 4 Sprigs Rosemary (roughly chopped)
• 9 Sage Leaves (roughly chopped)
• 2-3 Cloves of Garlic (roughly chopped)
• Salt and Pepper
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
2. In your food processor, combine the rosemary, sage, garlic, salt and pepper and olive oil to make a paste.  Put the paste on the outside of the boneless roast.
3. Put the onions into the roasting pan and toss with olive oil. Add the thyme, bay leaves and 2 cups of the apple cider.  Roast the pork at 425 degrees for 20 minutes or until a beautiful brown crust has formed. Stir the onion and check that the cider has not evaporated.  Add more apple cider if necessary.
4. Turn the oven down to 350 degrees and roast for 30 minutes or until your meat thermometer reads at least 150 degrees.  Let the pork roast rest for 10 to 15 minutes before carving. When ready cut the loin into thin slices.

Recipe and photo from Circle B Ranch.

Friday Fixin's - Spinach Lasagna

Thinking of incorporating a little extra green into your meals?  Earth Day is coming up April 22 and is one more reason to try this yummy looking Spinach Lasagna. You can even customize it to your taste with your own favorite sauce (red, white or pink). With so many shapes of pasta and varieties of sauce, you can start in the spring incorporating fresh greens (spinach, chard or kale) and move right into summer and incorporate tomatoes, eggplants and squashes.

Ingredients

• 1 jar tomato, Alfredo, marinara, or vodka pasta sauce
• 9 no-boil lasagna noodles
• 15 ounce(s) part-skim ricotta cheese
• 6 ounce(s) baby spinach
• 8 ounce(s) part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 1/2 teaspoon(s) pepper
• 6 tablespoon(s) Romano or Parmesan cheese, grated

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375° F. Coat the bottom of a 13"x9"x2" baking dish with cooking spray. Spread 1/2 cup sauce over bottom of dish. Top with 3 noodles. Spread with half of the ricotta. Top with half of the spinach, pressing it down into the cheese. Sprinkle with 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese and 1/4 tsp of the pepper. Drizzle with another 1/2 cup sauce.
2. Repeat with a second layer of 3 noodles, remaining ricotta cheese and spinach, 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese, remaining 1/4 tsp of the pepper, and 1/2 cup sauce. Top with remaining 3 noodles; spread remaining sauce over noodles to cover completely. Scatter remaining mozzarella and Romano cheeses over sauce. Cover dish tightly with foil.
3. Bake 45 minutes, or until noodles are tender. Let lasagna stand 10 minutes before serving.

Recipe and image from Delish.com.

Friday Fixin's - Sisters Garden Gate Sweet & Sour Chicken Cole Slaw

AgriMissouri member Sisters Garden Gate dressings have a family history. Barb Brewer and her daughter Erin Brewer-Moore are co-owners of the business, which started with a family owned restaurant called Chicken King in 1984. Every customer received a side of cole slaw (made with their sweet and sour dressing) with their chicken order. The tradition continues today with different variations of the original cole slaw recipe and salads that incorporate the tasty dressing.

Their Sweet and Sour Dressing is featured in our AgriMissouri Spring Gift Guide. Sisters Garden Gate shares seven recipes - including this one - on their web page, giving plenty of ideas for incorporating their family's history into your special meals. To make this recipe even more local, visit your favorite Missouri farmers' market this spring to incorporate local cabbage and chicken.   

Ingredients:
1 16 oz. Bag pre-cut slaw (cabbage or broccoli)
1 pkg. Chicken Ramen Noodles (uncooked) with seasoning packet
1 12 oz. Bottle of Sisters Sweet & Sour Dressing
4 - 4oz. Cooked boneless chicken breasts (skinless/cubed)

Instructions:
Combine ingredients / use seasoning packet to your taste
Mix well, breaking up noodles
Refrigerate several hours, stir occasionally
Serve Cold

Recipe from Sisters Garden Gate and image from Recipe.com