New England Recipes

         
Recipe Profile
by Vivian Escaravage-Perez

On the charming road to the town of Wakesfield, Vermont, there is a restored 1810 Farmhouse called the Inn at the Round Barn Farm where the Cooking From The Heart Catering Services is located. AnneMarie DeFreest has owned the inn for 23 years and she is the author of the "Recipes snd Reflections" cookbook. The cookbook is filled with a collection of a 120 original recipes which are always changing and adapting according to the chef. The guests loved the Cottage Cheese Pancakes served with raspberry maple syrup. AnneMarie wipes the cottage cheese into a fluffy batter including only four ingredients. "I wanted to write a cookbook about the experience the guests had with the inn and the food." said AnneMarie DeFreest. Many of the guests have liked the rhubarb muffin made with freshly grown rhubarb in the organic garden. The five acres of organic gardens are grown on the property and the fresh produce are used in the kitchen by the Executive Chef Charlie Menard. The catering services serves both hot and cold hor's d oeuves such as Wild Rice Pancakes with Grilled Duck and Dried Chutney, Antipasto Display Roasted Peppers, Rustic Breads with Sweet Herb Butters, and Curried Mango Chutney Cheesecake with Toasted Coconut Crust. The "Recipes and Reflections" cookbook is a reflection of the Cooking from the Heart Catering Services and the history of the Inn at the Round Barn Farm. AnneMarie plans to write a cookbook in the future about different recipes made from chefs from around the world. 
 
 When guests leave the Inn at the Round Barn Farm to travel back on the charming road, the guests promise to return to visit. Many guests buy the cookbook,"Recipes and Reflections," for their families and relatives. People like to experiment in the kitchen with the recipes from the cookbook.The cookbook,"Recipes and Reflections,"can be purchased online at roundbarnfarm.com or order by phone at 1-802-496-2276. 

Chocolate White Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Directions

Preheat oven to 350F. In an electric mixer, cream both the sugars and the butter until fluffy and light. Add vanilla. Add eggs one at a time, and mix well. Add cocoa and mix.
Sift together flour, soda, and salt. Add to cocoa mixture on low speed until just combined. Fold in white chocolate pieces.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using an ice cream scoop or tablespoon, drop the dough onto the sheet and flatten slightly. Bake for 10 -12 minutes and transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

Salmon Fillet in Puff Pastry with Citrus Beurre Blanc

This is definitely a special occasion dish. It can be made early in the day and then taken from the refrigerator to the oven. We always have a lot of fun in our kitchen cutting out the fish design and snipping scales with the scissors. Halibut, sea bass, or any other firm white fish can be substituted. This is not only easy, but impressive.

Salmon Directions

Whisk together the lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon salt and pepper in a bowl. Brush this mixture over the salmon fillets; set aside.
Make a cardboard cutout of a fish with a tail by referring to the picture on page 99. Make sure that your cutout is slightly larger than the salmon fillets so that it will completely encase the fillets, plus have a small border beyond them to allow you to seal the pastry.
Beat the egg, water and a pinch of salt in a bowl; set aside. Roll out each sheet of puff pastry, 1 at a time, on a lightly floured surface. Cut out a total of 8 pastry fish, 2 per sheet, by tracing around the cardboard fish with a sharp knife. Place the pastry fish in a single layer on a parchment-paper-lined baking sheet or a lightly sprayed sheet tray. Refrigerate the trays of fish as they are completed.
Work with 2 pastry fish at a time, keeping the remaining in the refrigerator. Lightly brush each pastry fish with the egg mixture. Place 1 salmon fillet on 1 of the pastry fish. Mold the salmon fillet to follow the shape of the pastry fish cutout. Brush the egg mixture lightly around the edges of the pastry. Cover the fillet with the second pastry fish, making sure the fillet is completely covered. Press the edges of the pastry together with fingertips, and then use the tines of a fork to make a tighter seal. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. (The recipe can be prepared several hours ahead to this point. Refrigerate, covered, until ready to bake.)
Brush the egg mixture lightly over the entire fish. Repeat with the remains pastry fish and salmon fillets.
Bake at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with citrus beurre blanc.
Note: Before baking the fish, you can make them look more whimsical by making little snips with a sharp scissors over the bodies for scales and a few strokes with a paring knife on the tails. Also, a single caper can be inserted to simulate a fish eye.

Citrus Beurre Blanc Directions

Combine the wine, lemon juice and shallot in a small saucepan. Simmer until the mixture is reduced to 1 tablespoon. Add the heavy cream and simmer until reduced by half. Remove from heat and add 1 piece of butter at a time while whisking constantly. You may need to return the saucepan to heat in order to incorporate all the butter. Be careful not to get sauce too hot or it will break. Strain sauce through a fine mesh sieve. Season with salt. Makes 1-1/2 cups.