GVQ's Favorite Recipes — Greenbrier Valley Quarterly

Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies

B SWEET

1C butter
1/2C of bacon grease
2C brown sugar
1C white sugar
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
1T vanilla
1tsp soda
1/4tsp baking powder
1tsp salt
4C flour
3C chocolate chips
1C bacon pieces

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C)

Cream together the butter, bacon grease, white sugar, and brown sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Stir in flour, soda, baking powder, salt, chocolate chips, and bacon. Drop by large spoonfuls onto ungreased pans.

Bake for about 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until edges are nicely browned.

French Onion Soup

The French Goat

Yield 3 quarts
5lbs Sweet Onions, julienne
2oz Unsalted Butter
2T Granulated Sugar
1T Packed Fresh Thyme, de-stemmed
6fl ozTawny Port
1Q Beef Stock
2C Chicken Stock
Salt & Pepper to taste
3fl oz Dry Sherry
Crostini 2 each, 1/4”slices per serving
Sliced Gruyere 2 each, 1/16”slices per serving
Shredded Gruyere ½ oz. per serving

Method for soup

Note: This soup can be made in either a Dutch oven pan on the stove, or in a crock pot. The stove method will require semi-constant attention in order not to burn the onions. The crock pot method will require much less attention and may be the best option for you.

Julienne the onions and set aside. On low heat, melt the butter in your cooking pot of choice and add onions. Sweat the onions for 15 minutes at low temperature. Sprinkle in sugar and thyme and stir. Cook onions until they are very soft and caramelized, about 1 hour. (2 hours for crock pot). If cooking over flame, stir frequently so the onions do not burn. Add port and turn up the heat, simmering for 15 minutes. Add chicken and beef stocks, and simmer for another 45 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add sherry. Serve right away or hold hot until service.

To Serve:

Preheat oven on broil setting. Portion soup into soup crocks. Add crostini (either homemade or store-bought) and cover each crock with 2 slices of gruyere and ½ ounce of shredded gruyere. Place crocks on a sheet tray and place in the oven under broiler, until cheese is melted and golden. A crème brûlée torch works well to melt the cheese if you have one available. Bon appetite!

Sidewinders

The Asylum

5lb Pork Butt
4T salt
4T pepper
4T brown sugar
2T of each powdered garlic, cumin, paprika, cayenne
1C shredded cheese
2T chives, chopped

Mix all ingredients and rub over pork until coated. Bake in Dutch oven at 400°F until fork tender

Pull the pork and shred about 2 cups over baked French fries. Cover with shredded cheese and bake in oven until cheese is melted. Once cheese is melted, top with sour cream and chives. Serve hot.

Crabcakes

Hill and Holler

1C of mayo
¼ C of Dijon mustard
1C of Worchestire sauce
Juice of 1 lemon
2 shakes of Tabasco
1T chopped parsley
1T Old Bay
1 celery stalk, diced
2 green onions, sliced thin
1 beaten egg
12oz lump crabmeat, picked
8oz backfin crabmeat, picked
Approx ½ C breadcrumbs, as needed

Add first 9 ingredients to a metal bowl and mix until combined. Add the beaten egg and mix. Gently fold in all of the crabmeat until coated. Add/Fold in breadcrumbs a handful at a time until the mixturecan be formed into patties. Sear on both sides and then bake at 400°F until hot in center, around 5-9 minutes depending on cake size.

Honey Chipotle Salmon

Del Sol Cantina and Grille

1lb Salmon
2T Chipotle
¼ C Honey
1T Brown Sugar
1T Dijon Mustard
1 clove garlic, chopped
1T olive oil

Place salmon (skin down) in a shallow glass bowl. In a small bowl, mix remaining ingredients. Pour over salmon, cover, and refridgerate at least 15 minutes. Pan sear salmon in a skillet with olive oil at high heat long enough to give it a nice golden crust. Brush with marinade and place in oven to cook for 5-8 minutes.

Ajou Pear with Green Grape Gazpacho

The Greenbrier

Salad Ingredients:
2 each heads of frisée lettuce
4 each heads of yellow endives
2 each Granny Smith apples
2 each celery ribbons
10oz Black Cambozola cheese
2C toasted walnuts
4T unsalted butter
1T brown sugar
1T ground cumin
1tspdry mustard
½ tsp cayenne pepper
8 each Anjou pears
4C water
4C sugar
2T caraway seed
1oz of olive oil
salt & black ground pepper
1 each lemon

To prepare the salad:
Preheat oven to 350°. Pick yellow parts of the frisée lettuce discarding the green. Wash thoroughly and set aside. Slice the stem of the endive to allow the leaves to separate and wash thoroughly. Then cut into desired shape and set aside. For the apple, start by quartering and removing the core and seeds. Then slice the apple into julienne strips and soak in acidulated water or club soda to prevent oxidization. Remove the top stem of the celery stalk and bottom white part where the root was attached. Rinse under running cold water to clean any small debris and then begin by peeling the celery into long ribbons. For a more interesting presentation, place the celery ribbons into ice cold water and leave for 30 minutes so they curl up. Cut the Black Cambozola cheese into small ½ inch pieces and set aside. Place walnuts on a dry lined baking sheet or shallow roasting pan. Place in oven and roast for 5 to 10 minutes until golden brown occasionally stirring to evenly brown. Add butter to a small sauté pan and begin by melting. Add the brown sugar, cumin, dry mustard and cayenne. Once the walnuts have been removed from the oven, pour the butter over the nuts and stir to coat evenly. Set aside to cool. Add the water, sugar and caraway seeds to a pan. Slowly heat and bring to a simmer until the sugar has dissolved. Strain and set aside to cool. Peel the Anjou pears and remove the core. Slice in half and discard any leftover seeds. Add to a pan and cover with the chilled caraway syrup. Bring to a light simmer and poach for 6 to 10 minutes until soft. Remove from syrup and set aside.

Green Grape Gazpacho

2 each garlic cloves
2C green grapes
1 each cucumber, peeled
¼ C water
1C yogurt
½ C walnuts
½ tsp chili flakes
1T Sherry vinegar
1T blonde Verjus

To prepare the Gazpacho:
Add all ingredients to a blender and blend on high until the gazpacho forms a silky smooth texture. Taste and adjust with salt and more vinegar if needed. Strain, cover and chill for up to 2 hours or overnight.

To prepare the dish:
Begin by placing the poached pear in the center of the plate. In a bowl, place the frisée and endive. Add a small amount of olive oil, the juice from the fresh lemon, and season with salt. Place the frisée and endive around the pear, add 1 ounce of the cheese, walnuts, celery and apple to the dish. Serve the salad with the gazpacho that you can pour over the pear.

Apple Cranberry Crumb Pie

Elk River Inn & Restaurant

6-7 medium granny smith apples
2T whole cranberry sauce
2T dried cranberries
2T cornstarch
½ C sugar
1T lemon juice

Peel and chop apples. Mix thoroughly with other ingredients. Put mixture in a 9” uncooked pastry shell. Cover with crumb topping and bake 45-55 minutes at 350°.

Crumb Topping
¾ C Brown sugar
¾ C flour
¾ C old fashioned oats
¾ tsp cinnamon
½ C melted butter

Mix dry ingredients together. Add butter, mixing with a fork. Use more or less butter as needed for crumb-like consistency.

Pesto Chicken Penne

50 East

4T of Pesto Sauce
4 Chicken Breasts
1C of heavy cream
Penne noodles
Feta cheese
1 bunch of Parsley, chopped

Pesto Sauce:
2C fresh basil leaves, packed
½ C freshly grated Romano or Parmesan-Reggiano cheese (about 2oz)
½ C extra virgin olive oil
1/3 C pine nuts (can sub chopped walnuts)
3 garlic cloves, minced (about 3 teaspoons)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Mix. Grill chicken. Meanwhile, cook Penne noodles according to taste. Slowly whisk the cream into the pesto until it renders a light green color. Pour pasta over noodles. Top with Feta cheese and garnish with parsley.