KING ARTHUR FLOUR

Founded in 1790, King Arthur Flour is the oldest flour company in America. The bakery, baking education center, café, and store are located in Norwich. King Arthur Flour’s fundamental mission is to support and seek to expand all aspects of baking by being the highest quality product, information, and education resource for, and inspiration to, bakers worldwide. The company has been employee-owned since 1996.

Currant Scones

MAKES 12 TO 14 SCONES

These scones are in the Irish style—moist, rich, and light. They are made daily at the King Arthur Flour Bakery. Cranberries can substitute nicely for the currants, or the dried fruit can be omitted entirely.

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.

2. Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add the butter and beat on low speed until the mixture forms pea-sized lumps. Add the currants and mix just until combined.

3. In a small bowl, whisk together the cream, buttermilk, and egg. Add to the dry mixture and stir by hand just until combined.

4. Using a 1/2-cup scoop, portion the dough onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake until the tops are slightly springy, 15 to 18 minutes. Serve warm.

Note: If desired, in step 4 whisk 1 large egg with 2 tablespoons milk or water and brush over the tops of the scones before baking them.

Rory’s Irish Scones

MAKES 54 SMALL SCONES

The Pearces’ friends Darina and Tim Allen own and operate the esteemed Ballymaloe Cookery School in Shanagarry, Ireland; this quick and easy recipe is from Darina’s brother, chef Rory O’Connell. At Simon Pearce’s restaurant, they make these scones using King Arthur unbleached bread flour. Serve these scones with soups, salads, or main courses; they are perfect any time.

2. Sift the flour, baking soda, salt, and sugar into a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the center of the dry mixture and add the buttermilk. Mix together by hand until thoroughly combined. (Be careful not to overwork the dough; it should be light and springy to the touch).

3. Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface and form into a large rectangle. Using a rolling pin and extra flour as needed, roll the dough into a 9 x 6-inch rectangle about 3/4 inch thick.

Cut the dough into 9 strips about 1 inch wide, then cut each of the strips into six 1-inch squares.

4. Arrange the dough squares on the prepared baking sheet in nine rows of six, so they are just barely touching. (As they rise in the oven, the scones will merge together.) Bake until the scones are golden brown, 17 to 20 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through the baking time. Let the scones cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then remove them from the sheet and gently separate them before serving.

Organic Milk Biscuits

MAKES 12 BISCUITS

These biscuits are light and airy with a hint of creaminess, which emanates from within. Dropping the biscuits onto the baking sheet avoids overworking the dough, which could lead to toughness. To give the biscuits a nice, savory twist, incorporate some fresh herbs into the dough. At Kimball Brook Farm, they use their own organic butter and milk, along with organic flour from King Arthur Flour.

2. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Using a fork or your fingertips, cut in the butter until the flour mixture resembles crumbs.

3. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and slowly pour in the milk. Stir until the dough just starts to come together. Do not overmix.

4. Spoon or scoop about 1/4 cup of dough for each biscuit onto an ungreased baking sheet. Press down gently on each biscuit. Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes.

Nana’s Caraway Seed Biscuits

MAKES ABOUT 18 BISCUITS

These biscuits come from Mary Moran, owner of High Ridge Meadows Farm in East Randolph. Moran’s grandmother taught her how to make caraway seed biscuits many years ago. Her grandmother would make them for the extended family every week, never measuring the ingredients; just a handful of this and a pinch of that. You can use between 2 and 3 tablespoons of caraway seeds, depending on how “seedy” you like your biscuits. They are delicious and easy to make; serve them alongside a hearty meal or on their own, with butter and a drizzle of honey, if desired.

1. Melt the shortening in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the milk and sugar and heat until very warm, about 110 degrees. Remove from the heat and add the yeast. Let stand for 2 minutes or until bubbles begin to form.

2. Combine the flour, caraway seeds, and salt in a large bowl. Stir in the yeast mixture until a soft dough forms. Cover with a damp dishcloth and let rise in a warm place until the dough doubles in volume, about 45 minutes.

3. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a baking sheet. Roll the dough out and cut with a 2-inch biscuit cutter, or simply tear pieces off with your fingers and form biscuits. Place the biscuits on the prepared baking sheet. Cover with a damp dishcloth and let rise in a warm place until the dough doubles in volume, about 45 minutes. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Serve.

Hush Puppies

MAKES ABOUT 20 HUSH PUPPIES

New Mexico chile powder is a mildly hot chile powder made from grinding whole, dried New Mexico chiles, seeds, and pods. Serve these hush puppies with Spicy Mayo (page 181).

1. Heat the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat to 350 degrees. (The oil should measure about 3 inches deep.)

2. In a medium bowl whisk together the eggs and buttermilk. Stir in the onion and pickled jalapeños. In a large bowl, stir together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, chile powder, sugar, salt, and baking soda. Add the buttermilk mixture and stir until just combined.

3. Using a small scoop or two spoons, drop the batter, one scoop at a time, into the prepared oil. (Cooking the hush puppies in batches of four works well). Fry until golden brown, turning occasionally with a spoon to brown on all sides, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove the hush puppies with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Serve immediately.

BUTTERWORKS FARM

Butterworks Farm, located in Westfield, is known as one of New England’s most successful organic dairy farms. Starting off with 60 acres, back in 1976, the farm now spans 300 acres and produces 7,000 quarts of yogurt each week. This whole process is done within a three-day timespan—Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday for processing the milk, and Thursday for delivery. The freshness is undeniable!

The owners, Jack and Anne Lazor, believe in taking care of the soil. They have always tried to put more back into their land than they take from it. The couple believes in “nourishing the soil so that it can nourish us.”

Butterworks Farm has grown from solely producing yogurt to now offering kefir, heavy cream, buttermilk, cornmeal, wheat berries, whole-wheat flour, spelt flour, and rye flour, as well as a variety of beans. The Lazors have learned that each year that they are farming brings a different set of circumstances, giving them a chance to vary the way they do things. The Lazors daughter Christine and her husband, Collin Mahoney, along with their two daughters, Ginny and Ursala, live in a second house on the property. They have become partners in the business and are learning the ropes with a view toward carrying Butterworks Farm into the future.

Maple Cornbread

SERVES 8 TO 10

This slightly sweet, dense, sturdy cornbread showcases Butterworks Farm’s Early Riser cornmeal. Early Riser is made from open-pollinated corn grown on the farm from seed that is selected from the highest quality ears. Only heavy, hard-textured, deep orange kernels make the cut. The careful selection produces fresh-tasting cornmeal with a natural sweetness not found in industrially produced versions. Maple syrup reinforces the natural sweetness of the corn.

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spray an 8-inch square baking pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.

2. In a large bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and salt. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan and set aside to cool slightly then whisk in the buttermilk, maple syrup, and eggs. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet mixture. Stir just to combine.

3. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth with a spatula. Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes. Serve drizzled with honey, if desired.

TWO BLACK SHEEP FARM

Two Black Sheep Farm, located in South Hero, Vermont, is a little slice of agricultural paradise. When farm owners Kurt Sherman and Erik Van Hauer, decided to start a CSA business back in 1992, they originally called it Swallow Farm. In 2011, it was renamed Two Black Sheep Farm, after two black Romney Marsh sheep. The farm is located on 3 acres overlooking Lake Champlain, just before the Grand Isle Ferry. The owners have a little more than half an acre of tilled land, where they grow as many different vegetables and fruits as can be squeezed in. These are grown in an organic and sustainable manner. For many CSA members, the connection to the farm is as valuable as the produce they receive. When members pick up their share at the farm, they have the opportunity to connect with the source of their food and to learn more about sustainable agriculture. Members also enjoy receiving the weekly Two Black Sheep Newsletter, which contains photos and reports from the field, news, events, recipes, and more.

ZUCCHINI BREAD

MAKES 2 LOAVES

The zucchini bread recipe came from Kurt Sherman’s grandmother, Hetty Sherman. When he first made this bread, Kurt didn’t know the difference between “dice,” “chop,” and “purée” so he wound up puréeing the zucchini instead of shredding it. The accidental result produced a loaf of bread that the entire family found appealing. Sherman has baked these zucchini loaves on many special occasions and once made 120 loaves in a single day, as favors to be given to guests attending his daughter and son-in-law’s wedding. (Fortunately, he had some help from the groom-to-be.)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray two 9 x 5-inch loaf pans with nonstick cooking spray and lightly dust with flour. Set aside.

3. Sift together the flour, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, sea salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and stir until smooth. Stir in the zucchini and raisins, nuts, or chocolate chips, if using. Pour into the prepared loaf pans and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean, about 1 hour.

4. Let the bread cool in the pans for about 15 minutes, then turn the loaves out onto a cooling rack. Let cool completely before serving.

Buttermilk Doughnuts

MAKES ABOUT 30 DOUGHNUTS

These tender buttermilk doughnuts appear on the Reluctant Panther’s dessert list in the fall, accompanied by Spiced Cider Semifreddo (page 225), Autumn Spice Crème Anglaise (page 183), and Apple Cider Caramel Sauce (page 185). The dessert trio is a play on traditional apple orchard offerings using fresh, local cider in the semidfreddo and with doughnuts made in-house, as you would get them at the apple orchard.

1. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, yolk, and sugar until light and fluffy. Whisk in the buttermilk and vanilla. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until a soft batter forms. Refrigerate the batter for at least 6 hours, or preferably overnight.

2. Heat the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat to 275 degrees. (The oil should measure about 3 inches deep.) Using a 2-inch scoop, drop the batter in small batches into the hot oil and fry until golden brown, turning occasionally to brown on all sides, 4 to 5 minutes. (Do not crowd the pot.) Using a slotted spoon, remove the doughnuts and drain on paper towels. Serve.

Hungarian Nokedli (Dumplings)

SERVES 4

Pitchfork Farm is a 16-acre organic vegetable farm located at the Intervale in Burlington, Vermont. The co-owners, Eric Seitz and Rob Rock, grow over 30 varieties of crops, which can be found in local restaurants and grocery stores. The partners are committed to growing only the highest quality fresh produce to sustain themselves, the land and the Vermont community. These little dumplings, a recipe from Seitz’s grandmother, are a superb complement to Chicken Paprika (page 127).

1. Bring 3 quarts water and 1 tablespoon salt to a boil in a large saucepan. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Make a well, add the eggs and water, and stir until a wet and sticky dough begins to form. (If necessary, add more water so that the dough is soft enough to press through a spaetzle maker.)

2. Working in batches, press the dough through a spaetzle maker and add the dumplings to the boiling water. Cook until the dumplings have floated to the surface, about 2 minutes per batch. Scoop out with a small sieve or slotted spoon and transfer to a large bowl.

3. Toss the spaetzle with the butter and Parmesan and season with salt to taste. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Note: If you don’t have a spaetzle maker, you can push the dough through the largest holes in a box grater.

Caribbean Cornbread

MAKES 15 TO 18 PIECES

Conant’s uses Early Riser Cornmeal from Butterworks Farm in this cornbread. If you can’t find it, use any good whole-grain cornmeal.

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.

2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, baking soda, sugar, and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk together the butter and eggs. Fold in the corn with its juice, pineapple, and 3/4 cup of the cheddar cheese. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet mixture. Stir until just combined.

3. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth with a spatula. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup cheese over the top. Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes.