In 1995, after attending the New England Culinary Institute in Vermont, Kevin Cleary cooked at some of the most highly acclaimed Italian restaurants in the Boston area, including Pignoli and the Tuscan Grill. He then spent four months in Italy working in the kitchens of the Michelin two-star Ristorante San Domenico in Imola and the chef-owned Osteria di Rendola in the green hills of Chianti. Upon returning to the states, Kevin landed the sous chef position at Il Capriccio and then, in 1999, he and wife, Kathi, opened L’Amante Ristorante in Gloucester, Massachusetts. In 2003, Kevin and Kathi moved L’Amante to Burlington, Vermont. The food is regional Italian and the wine list, consisting of 130 selections, focuses mainly on the north of Italy.
Chef Cleary often uses produce from Half Pint Farm, located in the Intervale in Burlington. This very simple dish uses only a very few ingredients, so it is essential that everything be as fresh as possible. Tuscan kale, also called cavolo nero, lacinato, or dinosaur kale, is slightly sweeter than curly kale. Fusilli, tubettini, orzo, or coralli pasta can be used in place of the orrecchiette. Although this is a vegetarian dish, you can spice it up with hot Italian sausage, if desired.
Salt
1 pound orecchiette
1/4 cup canola oil
2 medium turnips, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 pound Tuscan kale, stems and center ribs removed, roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Freshly cracked black pepper
8 tablespoons (4 ounces) unsalted butter
2/3 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus extra for garnish
1. Bring 6 quarts salted water to a boil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain the pasta, reserving 3/4 cup of the pasta water. Set aside.
2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add the turnips and reduce the heat to medium. Cook, stirring often, until the turnips are tender and golden, about 6 minutes.
3. Add the kale and cook, stirring often, until the kale is very tender, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes, and cook, stirring often, 1 minute. Add the reserved pasta water as needed and season with cracked pepper to taste. Add the butter and stir gently until melted.
4. Add the pasta to the kale mixture and toss with tongs until the pasta is well coated. Stir in the Parmigiano-Reggiano. Season with salt and additional cracked pepper to taste.
5. Divide the pasta into warm bowls, sprinkle with additional cheese, if desired, and serve.
L’Amante Ristorante
Serve with Moroccan-Style Chicken with Apricots and Almonds (page 130).
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons olive oil or duck fat
1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
1 1/2 cups Mediterranean or Israeli couscous
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Chopped fresh parsley
1. Bring the chicken broth to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Remove from heat, cover the pot, and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and pepper and cook, stirring often, until the onion is soft and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Stir in the couscous and cook until lightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes, stirring frequently.
3. Stir in the chicken broth and oregano, cover, and reduce the heat to low. Simmer until the broth is absorbed and the couscous is tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Add the lemon zest. Transfer to a bowl, fluffing the couscous with a fork or spoon. Season with salt and pepper to taste, sprinkle with parsley, and serve.
Ariel’s Restaurant
Penne pasta with vodka sauce (penne alla vodka) is a classic that is fun to bring out now and again. This dish is smooth and lightly creamy, with a hint of sweetness from the Smugglers’ Notch vodka, and a slight nuttiness from the freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. The key to this dish is using very fresh ingredients, from the spinach to the shrimp and scallops, making sure not to overcook the seafood. To prevent a flare-up, be sure to remove the skillet from the heat before adding the vodka.
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound whole-wheat penne
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound jumbo shrimp (16/20 count), peeled and deveined
12 ounces sea scallops (20/30 count), tendons removed
8 slices prosciutto, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons minced shallot
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 plum tomatoes, seeded and cut into thin strips
3 cups baby spinach
1/3 cup Smuggler’s Notch vodka
1 1/4 cups natural marinara sauce
1 cup heavy cream
2 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano or Pecorino Romano cheese, grated (1 cup), plus extra for serving
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the pasta, and cook until al dente, 6 to 7 minutes. Drain in a colander and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and scallops and cook, 1 to 2 minutes on each side. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the prosciutto and continue to cook until the scallops are caramelized, about 2 minutes.
3. Reduce the heat to medium, add the shallot, garlic, tomatoes, and spinach, and cook for 1 minute. Remove the skillet from the heat and carefully add the vodka. Return to medium heat and cook until the alcohol burns off, about 2 minutes. Add the marinara sauce and heavy cream and simmer for 2 minutes. Stir in 1/2 cup of the cheese until melted and smooth. Add the pasta to the sauce and cook until heated through. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Transfer the pasta to a large bowl and sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup cheese, tossing to incorporate. Sprinkle with the basil and serve with additional cheese.
Chef Peter McLyman of the Country Club of Vermont for Smugglers’ Notch Distillery
This is a very easy ricotta gnocchi recipe that Lee Duberman has taught to her cooking classes. Everyone loves it because it looks so much more difficult to make than it really is. Duberman either makes her own ricotta (recipe follows) or buys Turkey Hill Farm’s flavorful ricotta, which is produced just a few miles from Ariel’s restaurant. Duberman often serves the gnocchi in the spring with asparagus, leeks, and morel mushrooms, but it’s also great in summer with chanterelles and corn, or in the fall and winter months with roasted root vegetables. The gnocchi can be made ahead of time; after boiling and cooling them, transfer to zipper-lock plastic bags and freeze.
4 teaspoons salt
2 cups (1 pound) whole-milk ricotta cheese, preferably homemade
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated (1 cup), plus extra for serving
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme or tarragon, plus extra for garnish
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg (optional)
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup heavy cream
4 tablespoons (2 ounces) unsalted butter
4 fresh sage leaves, finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1. Lightly oil a baking sheet and set aside. Bring 6 quarts water and 1 tablespoon of the salt to a boil in a large stockpot.
2. In a medium bowl, stir together the ricotta, eggs, Parmigiano-Reggiano, thyme, nutmeg (if using) and the remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Add the flour and stir until a wet and sticky dough begins to form. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead until the dough just comes together. Cut the dough into 8 equal pieces and set aside on a lightly floured baking sheet.
3. Lightly flour a clean work surface and roll each piece of dough into a 1/2-inch-thick rope. Cut each rope into 1-inch pieces. Add the gnocchi in batches, two ropes at a time, to the boiling water. Cook until the pasta has floated to the surface, about 2 minutes per batch. Using a small sieve or slotted spoon, transfer the gnocchi to the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining gnocchi. Spread the gnocchi out on the baking sheet and let cool until ready to use.
4. To make the sauce: Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add half of the gnocchi and sauté, lightly tossing, until golden brown. Transfer to a large bowl and cover to keep warm. Repeat with the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and remaining gnocchi. Reduce the heat to medium and add the cream, butter, and sage to the skillet. Cook until the sauce reduces slightly, about 5 minutes, then pour over the gnocchi and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle the gnocchi with chopped thyme and serve with additional Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.
Ariel’s Restaurant
Variation: After transferring both batches of sautéed gnocchi to the bowl in step 4, add one or two of the following ingredients: 1/2 cup blanched diagonally sliced asparagus, 1/2 cup blanched English peas, 1 small bunch sautéed or grilled wild leeks (ramps), 1 cup blanched fiddlehead ferns, 1 bunch blanched chopped spinach, 1/2 cup sautéed wild or cultivated mushrooms, or 1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted and chopped. Make the sauce and combine as directed.
This recipe is super simple to make and well worth the minimal effort.
1 gallon whole milk
1 quart buttermilk
1. Line a fine-mesh strainer with a double layer of cheesecloth and set over a large bowl.
2. Combine the milk and buttermilk in a heavy stockpot and heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture begins to steam. Reduce the heat to low and continue to cook until the curds separate from the whey, and a 1- to 2-inch layer of curds floats to the top. Ladle the curds into the prepared strainer and Let drain at room temperature for 1 to 3 hours. Use immediately or cover and refrigerate.
Ariel’s Restaurant
At a very young age, Colin McCaffrey began foraging for wild edibles in the Connecticut River Valley of Vermont. His mother showed him how to cook milkweed shoots and roast dandelion roots, as well as harvest wild berries, nettles, and fiddleheads. His first taste of wild mushrooms was freshly picked inky caps sautéed in butter. McCaffrey spent hours in the woods hunting, fishing, and learning the names of wildflowers and the properties of herbs. After settling in central Vermont, he has spent the past two decades learning the woods around his home and beyond, seeking out the best edible plants and fungi, which he sells to local co-ops and restaurants such as Hen of the Wood in Waterbury and Frida’s Taqueria in Stowe. His “day job” is record producer, songwriter, and musician.
This recipe is one of McCaffrey’s favorite ways of using the porcini and Boletus edulis mushrooms that he harvests and dries all summer. The intense, earthy flavor of the dried porcini mushroom is a wonderful compliment to grass-fed beef. Colin has made these meatballs with a brown gravy served on mashed potatoes as well as in a tomato sauce with pasta. Each approach brings out different subtleties of spice and mushroom flavor.
1/2 ounce dried porcini mushrooms, not rehydrated
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon curry powder
1 pound ground beef, preferably grass-fed
1/2 cup finely ground bread crumbs or panko
1/4 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus extra for serving
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 large garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups good-quality tomato-basil pasta sauce
12 ounces whole-wheat spaghetti
1. Pulse the mushrooms, paprika, cumin, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and curry powder in a food processor until well combined.
2. In a large bowl mix the mushroom-spice mixture, beef, bread crumbs, Parmigiano-Reggiano, egg, and garlic until just combined. Using your hands, form into 16 meatballs.
3. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add half of the meatballs and cook, turning until browned on all sides, about 7 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer the meatballs to a plate. Repeat with the remaining oil and remaining meatballs. Return all the meatballs to the skillet. Add the pasta sauce and simmer until the meatballs have reached an internal temperature of 140 degrees, about 15 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the pasta, and cook until al dente, 6 to 7 minutes. Drain in a colander. Place the pasta in a large bowl and top with the meatballs and sauce. Serve with additional grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, if desired.
Hermit’s Gold Wild Edibles
Thistle Hill Tarentaise cheese is smooth-textured, subtly nut-flavored and naturally rinded. Serve this rich dish with a green salad and a nice crusty baguette.
1 pound macaroni
2 medium potatoes, unpeeled, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
8 ounces (about 8 slices) bacon
1 large onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons (1 ounce) unsalted butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
6 ounces Tarentaise cheese, shredded (1 1/2 cups)
1–1 1/2 cups light cream
2 teaspoons dry mustard
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Cayenne pepper
Chopped fresh thyme or parsley, for garnish
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 10 x 15-inch baking dish with butter or coat with nonstick cooking spray; set aside. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the macaroni, and cook until al dente. Drain in a colander and set aside.
2. Place the potatoes in a medium saucepan and cover with cold, salted water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until the potatoes are just tender. Drain in a colander and set aside.
3. Cook the bacon in a medium skillet over medium-high heat until crisp, 5 to 6 minutes. Let the bacon drain on paper towels, then coarsely chop it. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat from the skillet, then add the onion and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, for 1 minute.
4. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk in the flour and cook until the mixture has thickened and the flour is a pale golden color. Remove from the heat and stir in the bacon, 1 cup of the Tarentaise, the cream, and dry mustard. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
5. In a large bowl, stir together the macaroni, potatoes, and cheese mixture and transfer to the prepared dish. Lightly coat the dull side of a sheet of foil with nonstick cooking spray and cover the baking dish.
6. Bake the macaroni and cheese until hot and bubbly, about 20 minutes. Remove the dish from oven and sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup cheese and cayenne pepper to taste over the top. Return to the oven and bake, uncovered, until the cheese is golden brown, about 10 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes, sprinkle with thyme, and serve.
Thistle Hill Farm
This hearty, rustic dish has a rich robust veal flavor with pork undertones. The pancetta adds a nice contrast of spice and salt without the smoky flavor of bacon.
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium Spanish onion, diced
5 garlic cloves, minced
4 ounces pancetta, finely chopped
2 pounds ground veal
8 ounces ground pork
1 cup dry white wine
2 cups puréed tomatoes
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons (1 ounce) unsalted butter
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound tagliatelle, fettuccine, or rigatoni
Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the pancetta, veal, and pork, increase the heat to medium-high, and cook, breaking up with a fork, until the meat is browned. Add the wine and bring to a boil, scraping up the brown bits from the bottom of the pot. Continue cooking until most of the wine has evaporated, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, cream, nutmeg, and bay leaf and reduce the heat to low. Simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Stir in the butter, rosemary, and parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste.
2. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the pasta, and cook until al dente. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup pasta water and return the pasta to the pot. Add the sauce and cook, stirring frequently, until heated through. If the sauce seems dry, stir in the reserved pasta water as needed. Serve with Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.
The Belted Cow Bistro
Blue Ledge Farm was established in the year 2000. It is a small family-owned and operated goat, dairy, and cheesemaking operation. Their mission is to create a high-quality product built on the cornerstones of respect for the consumer, land, and animals, as well as the local community. This soft-textured pasta dish is creamy, fresh and aromatic, with a nice lingering tanginess from the goat cheese. The plump, juicy kalamata olives give it a meatlike taste. Substitute whole-wheat penne pasta for added protein and fiber if you prefer. Just be sure make sure to cook the pasta al dente because it will cook more when the starchy pasta water is incorporated.
2 1/2 pounds cherry tomatoes, halved, or whole grape tomatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound penne
6 ounces fresh goat cheese, crumbled (1 1/2 cups)
1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives, halved
3/4 cup chopped fresh basil, plus extra for garnish
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
2. Place the tomatoes on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Roast for 15 minutes and set aside.
3. Bring 6 quarts of salted water to a boil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the pasta and cook just until al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving 2/3 cup of the pasta water.
4. While the pasta is cooking, combine the tomatoes, goat cheese, olives, basil, and lemon juice in a large bowl. Add the hot pasta and toss, mixing well. Slowly add the reserved pasta water as needed, stirring until the sauce is creamy. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
5. To serve, spoon pasta into warm bowls and top with Parmesan. Garnish with basil and serve at once.
Blue Ledge Farm
Rachel Schattman did not grow up on a farm. She got her first taste of farming at the Putney School, a boarding high school on a dairy and small vegetable farm in Putney, Vermont. Students were required to do farm work, and Schattman found great joy in being outdoors, working in the rich soil.
She began working at a farm near her home during school breaks, and her passion for growing things continued to bloom, along with her love for Vermont’s tight-knit farming community.
After earning a master’s degree from the University of Vermont, Schattman and a friend, Kelli Brooks, started a certified organic farm at the Intervale in Burlington. The Intervale’s farm program offers farmers the opportunity to keep their initial costs low by providing an area to farm, shared space in their greenhouses and coolers, and the use of tractors and farm implements. Schattman and Brooks christened their new venture “Bella Farm.” Soon seven varieties of garlic, eight types of basil, and an intriguing assortment of culinary herbs were springing up through the Intervale’s rich organic soil. They decided to use some of their garlic and basil crop to create a dairy- and nut-free pesto. Because pesto freezes well, it could be made during the summer, frozen, and sold throughout the winter.
The Intervale enabled Schattman to gain technical and business skills, as well as the experience needed to start a farm of her own. Bella Farm is now located on about 20 acres of south-facing slope in Monkton. Schattman and her partner, Patrick Rowe, have a beautiful view of the hills from their newly constructed home and fields. The farm is certified organic, and four of their acres are used for vegetables, herbs, and cover crops. Schattman believes in using cover crops such as buckwheat to manage weeds and pests, and increase soil fertility. She continues to make her signature pesto at home in her certified kitchen. On a typical day, the basil is picked in the morning and processed by afternoon. Bella Farm produces between 2,500 and 3,000 six-ounce units of pesto per season. It is sold frozen at the Burlington Farmers’ Market or thawed in the “hippie cooler” at City Market, Onion River Co-op in Burlington.
For Schattman, the quality of the food she produces is of the utmost importance, as is making that food accessible to all members of the community. With the help and support of family, friends, and Rowe, she welcomes each day with unswerving dedication and optimism that she is truly making a difference.
Schattman explains, “Farming is a fascinating and continuously challenging process that is extremely rewarding for me. My body may get tired, but I am never, ever bored!”
Like many recipes from Bella Farm, this polenta was inspired by seasonal abundance; in this case, a bumper crop of cherry tomatoes. This dish is quick, easy, and satisfying.
4 cups water
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 cup coarse- or medium-ground polenta
1/2 teaspoon olive oil
1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1 tablespoon minced fresh sage
1/2 cup shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus extra for serving
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Chopped fresh parsley
1. Bring the water, salt and butter to a boil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Whisking constantly, add the polenta in a slow, steady stream. Continue stirring until the water returns to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until thickened, 35 to 40 minutes. The polenta should pull away from the sides of the pan.
2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add the tomatoes and sage and cook for 3 minutes. Stir the tomatoes, sage, and Parmigiano-Reggiano into the warm polenta. Season with salt and pepper to taste, sprinkle with parsley and additional cheese, and serve.
Rachel Schattman of Bella Farm
Twin Farms, nestled among 300 acres of rolling hills in Barnard, is the former estate of Nobel Prize-winning author Sinclair Lewis and his journalist wife, Dorothy Thompson. Thompson kept Twin Farms until she was no longer physically able to live there. The property has changed hands several times since then; today’s ownership now includes several partners. It is Vermont’s only luxury five-star, all-inclusive resort and spa.
As the executive chef, Ted Ask oversees all aspects of the Twin Farms’ culinary experience. His philosophy revolves around the changing seasons, locally grown herbs and vegetables (some from Twin Farms’ own gardens), and honoring each guest’s dietary preferences. There is no set menu so each day is a different culinary story. A questionnaire is sent to guests when they make their reservation. This way the restaurant is made aware of each guest’s dietary restrictions, food allergies, and preferences. When guests sit down to eat, they do not have to order. Their meal arrives all to their liking.
Chef Ask says, “For this recipe we grow the ‘Painted Mountain’ variety of red corn in the Twin Farms garden—it has done very well in this climate. After picking, we dry the ears, then remove the kernels for storage. This allows us to grind polenta to order for our dishes and have the garden featured on our menus throughout the winter months. The caring hands of Les Hook and Nova Kim, from Wild Gourmet Food, provide the mushrooms, which are always picked with the thought of maintaining the land and preserving the wild mushroom patches for years to come.”
4 cups low-sodium chicken stock
1 cup coarse-ground or medium-ground polenta
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
8 ounces wild oyster mushrooms, trimmed and coarsely chopped
3 cups vegetable stock
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme, plus 4 thyme sprigs for garnish
1 bay leaf
1–2 tablespoons dry sherry
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 elephant garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 cup ricotta cheese
Parsley leaves (optional)
1. To make the polenta: Bring the chicken stock to a boil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Whisking constantly, add the polenta in a slow, steady stream. Continue stirring until the stock returns to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until thickened, 30 to 35 minutes. The polenta should pull away from the sides of the pan.
2. To make the oyster mushroom broth: Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the mushrooms and cook until soft and golden, about 6 minutes. Add the stock, thyme, and bay leaf and simmer until the liquid has reduced by half, about 12 minutes. Discard bay leaf. Stir in sherry and season with salt and pepper to taste.
3. To make the garlic chips: While the mushroom broth is simmering, heat the oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, and fry until golden brown on both sides, about 1 minute per side. Using a slotted spoon, remove the garlic and set aside on paper towels.
4. Spoon the polenta into bowls; top each serving with mushrooms, ricotta cheese, and garlic chips. Drizzle the mushroom broth over the polenta, garnish with thyme sprigs or parsley leaves, if desired, and serve.
Twin Farms
In 2003, Michael Scheps, a third-generation cheesemaker, began producing hand-stretched mozzarella in the kitchen of Al Ducci’s Italian Pantry, an Italian-style delicatessen and food market, in Manchester Center. Scheps was stretching out mozzarella cheese and putting the balls out on the counter for Al Ducci’s customers when Johann Englert walked into the store. Immediately, she was drawn to the display of mozzarella balls. Englert hadn’t seen mozzarella displayed in that fashion since a trip to Italy years before, so she decided to buy some. She immediately fell in love with the cheese and felt that it was the best mozzarella that she had tasted in the United States.
A natural entrepreneur, Englert approached Scheps with the idea of selling his cheese to Boston chefs. Initially, Englert took 20 mozzarella balls to Boston; five of the gourmet shops that sampled them ordered more, and before long, Scheps was scrambling to keep up with the orders Englert generated. The following year, the pair saw enough potential in their budding business to purchase a cheese plant in Bennington, Vermont, and launched what is now Maplebrook Fine Cheese.
Through the use of Old-World cheesemaking traditions, the company now handcrafts seven cheeses—handmade mozzarella, smoked mozzarella, hand-dipped ricotta, whole milk feta, burrata, cheddar bites, and mozzarella in water.
When you bite into this polenta-based hors d’oeuvre, there is the surprise of warm, gooey Maplebrook Farm smoked mozzarella inside. These little snacks are hard to resist when topped with a dollop of concentrated tomatoes, garlic, and basil. They are elegant enough to serve at a wedding reception or at a casual get-together with friends at home.
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (14.5-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
Pinch crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil, plus extra for garnish
Granulated sugar
Kosher salt
1 cup milk
1 cup yellow polenta or stone-ground cornmeal
1 teaspoon salt
Pinch grated nutmeg
Freshly ground black pepper
2 cups simmering water
2 tablespoons (1 ounce) unsalted butter
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for garnish
4 ounces smoked mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Lightly coat a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
2. To make the tomato sauce: Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over low heat. Add the garlic and cook until just fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes, red pepper flakes, basil, and 1 teaspoon sugar. Increase the heat to medium-low heat and cook until the sauce is thick enough to push to one side of the saucepan, about 15 minutes. Season with sugar and salt to taste, and set aside.
3. To make the polenta: Whisk together the milk, polenta, salt, nutmeg, and pepper to taste in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisking constantly, add the water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until the polenta is thick, creamy and pulls away from the pan, about 15 minutes. Add the butter and Parmesan, stirring until melted. Let rest off the heat for 5 minutes.
4. Spoon the warm polenta into a pastry bag without a tip. Pipe the polenta into 1-inch-diameter mounds on the prepared baking sheet.
5. Pick up a mound of polenta and place one mozzarella cheese cube halfway into the center, shaping the polenta around the cheese. The cheese should be visible on the top with a layer of polenta underneath and all around. Repeat with the remaining polenta and mozzarella. The finished bites should be roughly 3/4 inch high by 1 1/4 inches wide.
6. Bake until the cheese is melted and the polenta is warmed through, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter, spoon a small amount of sauce on top of each piece of polenta, then sprinkle with additional Parmesan and basil. Serve immediately. (To reheat, cover with plastic wrap and heat in microwave until warmed through.)
Robert Titterton and Maplebrook Farm
