The holiday season is the time of giving, cheer and food. Lots and lots of food. And nobody wants to show up empty-handed for Christmas Eve at Grandma’s house or a friend’s New Year’s Eve bash.
Be the star of the party with one of these fabulous recipes from North Fork chefs.
Trio of Fruit
Courtesy of Kevin Judge, owner, Maple Tree BBQ, Riverhead
Serves about 20
Green salsa
1 avocado
1 honeydew melon
3 green onions (just the green part)
1 lime for juice and zest
Dice all ingredients and mix together. Refrigerate overnight.
Red Fruit Salsa
1 pint strawberries
1 pound peeled seedless watermelon
1 tablespoon finely diced red onion
Dice all ingredients and mix together. Refrigerate overnight.
Pineapple, Kiwi and White Onion Salsa
1 pineapple, peeled and cored
3 kiwis, peeled
1 white onion
Finely dice ingredients and mix.
Serve the three dips in separate bowls with cucumber slices.
Trio of Bruschetta
Courtesy of Kevin Judge, Maple Tree BBQ
Serves about 20
Italian Tapenade
1 small red onion
1/4 pound jarred red peppers
1/4 pound black olives
1 tablespoon capers
1 cup mayonnaise
Blend in a food processor.
Tomato and Onion
2 fresh vine tomatoes
1/2 medium red onion
2 parts olive oil, 1 part red wine veingar
Dice ingredients and combine with olive oil mixture.
Remoulade
1 shallot
1 hardboiled egg
1/4 cup sweet pickle relish
1/4 cup black olives
1 cup mayonnaise
Blend in a food processor.
Serve the three dips in separate bowls with crostini toasts.
Cranberry Apple Fruit Crisp
Courtesy Matt Kar, owner, Christopher Michael Catering and Jamesport Country Kitchen, Jamesport
Serves 9 to 12
6 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and sliced 1/4 inch thick
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 pint cranberries or other berries for topping
1 cup flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 eggs
3 tablespoons melted butter
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Arrange the apples slices in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Combine 2 tablespoons of sugar with cinnamon, sprinkle over the apples and mix well to coat. Top with berries.
To make the topping, combine the flour, 3/4 cup of sugar and baking powder. Add the eggs and mix lightly with your fingers or a pastry blender until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. Spread over fruit.
Drizzle the melted butter over the topping. Bake for around 1 hour or until the apples are tender and the liquid bubbles.
Serve with vanilla ice cream. This dish does not need to be refrigerated before serving.
Peanut Butter Mousse Brownies
Courtesy Steve Amaral, executive chef, North Fork Chocolate Company, Calverton
Serves 18 or 36 (depending on portion size)
Brownie batter
1/2 pound butter
1 1/4 cup of sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup bittersweet Belgian chocolate
2 Tbs vegetable oil
2 Tbs cocoa powder
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
Cream sugar and butter in a mixer with a paddle attachment on medium speed. Add eggs to mixture slowly, one at a time, then add vanilla.
Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a water bath. In a separate bowl, whisk together the vegetable oil and cocoa powder. Add melted chocolate to the oil and cocoa powder mixture.
Combine flour and salt and add slowly to the creamed butter and sugar mixture. Then add chocolate mixture to the mixing bowl.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 9-inch square cake pans. Divide batter between the pans and bake at 350 for approximately 25 minutes. Set aside to cool in pans.
Peanut Butter Mousse
2 cups peanut butter
1 cup whipped cream
1 cup Reese’s chunks (broken-up pieces of peanut butter cups)
Fold together whipped cream and peanut butter, then fold in Reese’s chunks. Refrigerate overnight.
To Assemble:
Place all the peanut butter mousse on top of one of the pans of cooled brownies. Using a spatula, spread mousse evenly over brownies.
Remove the brownies from the second pan and place on top of the peanut butter mousse (in pan) and press down. Wrap pan with plastic wrap and freeze overnight.
Remove from pan and cut frozen brownies into 18 regular-sized portions or 36 mini-portions. Keep in refrigerator and consume within 7 days or keep frozen until ready to thaw and serve.
Roasted Butternut Squash and Ricotta Crostini
Courtesy Lombardi’s Love Lane Market, Mattituck
Serves 12
1 two-pound butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into small cubes
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 cup seedless red grapes
Coarse sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 cup fresh ricotta
Crostini toasts
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Toss squash and grapes with olive oil in a large bowl and season with salt and pepper. Arrange in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast, tossing occasionally, until squash is golden and tender, about 30 minutes. Remove and let cool.
Spread a thin layer of ricotta on each crostini. Top with roasted butternut squash and grapes.
Optional: Garnish with a fried sage leaf or a sprinkle of toasted pine nuts.
Arrange on a platter and head over to the holiday party! Mangia bene!
This story was originally published in northforker’s 2014 Holiday Guide.
