Culinary Arts essay and recipe by Caroline Beasley

December 21st, 2007

A Christmas Gift That Gives Back

‘Tis the season of giving! And to give is to receive, right? The Christmas season is a time of year when families gather and are inspired by a charitable spirit, giving to loved ones and often to the community. This holiday is also marked by the sharing of eggnog, cookies and lavish feasts. A simple way to bring food and the charitable holiday spirit together is by choosing to prepare Christmas dinner using local products. Through this simple act we not only deliver the freshest, healthiest and most flavorful meal to our family, but also give back in much broader scope to the local farmers, the local economy, and the environment.

By giving local farmers our business when shopping for a holiday meal, we benefit from not only a superior product but also a closer relationship with the food we eat and how it is raised. Farming practices have become a major concern in recent years with the increased food-borne illness and pesticide and antibiotic use, so buying local enables the consumer to see firsthand which farming practices are being employed. It is common for local farmers, who often take more pride in their land, products and community, to employ sustainable, organic and natural farming methods, which are healthier on all levels.

Visiting local farms and farmers’ markets can also have a pleasant effect on the way many children (and adults!) think about certain foods. Empowering children with the ability to see how food and livestock are raised, select the foods they find interesting and then involving them with the preparation, is sometimes the key to getting them to try things they normally would not. They might also find the fresh and ripe version much more palatable than the bland supermarket version which was picked unripe and subjected to flavor-killing refrigeration and preservatives. Using these fresh ingredients can also inspire choosing methods of preparation that do more to highlight the natural flavor of the foods, often resulting in using less of the fat, sugar, spices and sauces that are often parts of Christmas foods.

Another benefit of frequenting local farms during the holiday season is helping support farmers who are often suffering from the effects of a colder climate and thus a limited growing season. By purchasing directly from the farmer we are ensuring that they receive the full retail value for their goods, versus the approximately twenty cents received if sold to large retailers. This is also beneficial because it cuts down on the wasteful packaging and transportation needed to widely distribute goods. In return, local farmers often do their share of giving back to the local economy by purchasing farming supplies from local retailers, keeping the profits in the community.

The benefits of buying local products are endless and especially important during the Christmas season. A Christmas dinner prepared with local products will not only be healthy and flavorful but will also have global effects. So start a new tradition this Christmas and prepare dinner using local products — it’s a gift everyone can benefit from.

A Carolina Christmas Menu
Menu created by Caroline Beasley featuring products local to Western North & South Carolina

A majority of the items used in my Carolina Christmas menu can be easily obtained in a 100-mile radius of Greenville/Greer South Carolina by purchasing directly from local farms & orchards, farmers’ markets, and specialty retailers throughout the month of December.

Appetizer

Stuffed Figs
baked with Clemson Blue Cheese and a sweet balsamic glaze

Biltmore Reserve Method Champernoise Blanc de Blance –
2003 North Carolina Brut

Soup & Salad

Butternut Squash & Caramelized Onion Soup
with basil coulis

Roasted Beet & Goat Cheese Salad
salad of watercress and arugula with roasted beets, fried Split Creek Farms goat cheese medallions and dried fig port wine vinaigrette

Biltmore Estates Chateau Reserve Chardonnay – 2005 North Carolina

Main Course

Standing Rib Roast
encrusted with sea salt and cracked pepper

Yorkshire Pudding
with baked spiced Macintosh apples

Brussel Sprouts
roasted with shallots and tossed with a cayenne & wildflower honey glaze

Sweet Potato Souffle
with vanilla and coriander

Biltmore Estate Chateau Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

Dessert

Gingerbread Cake
with dried figs, pecans and eggnog crème anglaise

Carolina Coffee Roasters Coffee

Recipe: Gingerbread Cake with Eggnog Crème Anglaise
by Caroline Beasley

Baking is one of my favorite holiday pastimes, so I chose to create a Christmas dessert that showcases not only some of the season’s best flavors, but also figs and pecans- two of my favorite local treats. Enjoy!

Serves 6

Crème Anglaise
2 cups heavy cream
½ cup sugar
4 large egg yolks
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons dark rum
2 tablespoons bourbon
1 ½ teaspoons ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla

Gingerbread Cake
1 ¼ cups all purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground clove
1 teaspoon coriander
¼ teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
¼ cup dark brown sugar
2 eggs
½ cup dark molasses
½ cup water
½ cup coarsely chopped dried figs
½ cup coarsely chopped toasted pecans

Eggnog Crème Anglaise

1. Heat cream and sugar in a heavy saucepan until dissolved, but do not allow to boil.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together salt and egg yolks. Whisking constantly, gradually add a small portion of the warm cream mixture to the egg mixture. Add mixture back to the saucepan and cook over med-low heat until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon or it reaches 170-175°F (about 4-8 minutes).
3. Strain the custard into a bowl placed in an ice bath. Stir in the rum, bourbon, nutmeg and vanilla. Stir occasionally until cool. Press a piece of plastic wrap onto the surface of the custard and refrigerate until thickened and cold, about 2 hours.

Gingerbread Cake

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Place a oven-safe dish of water on lowest oven shelf. Grease and flour six 4¼ inch ramekins. Optional: Cake can be served in the ramekins or turned out into a service dish. If choosing to turn out, prepare six parchment paper rounds to fit 4¼ inch ramekins. Butter and flour ramekins then place a greased parchment round in each ramekin.
2. Combine dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Chop pecans and figs and toss with a small amount of flour, ensuring fig pieces are not stuck together.
3. In a large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until combined.
4. Combine molasses and water in a measuring cup. Add dry ingredients to butter mixture in 3 additions, alternating with molasses mixture. Stir in figs and pecans.
5. Fill each ramekin about half full with cake. Place ramekins on cookie sheet and bake in oven for 20-25 minutes, or until just set but not dry. Serve warm or at room temperature topped with Eggnog Crème Anglaise.

Tags: culinary arts, culinary school, recipes