Romaine and Apple Salad with Maytag Blue
Cheese, Walnuts, and Port Wine Vinaigrette

“This is a particularly successful combination of flavors and textures.
Blue-veined cheese, nuts, and Port wine is a classic ending to a meal,
so you might want to serve this after a main course, but it would be an
excellent opener as well.”

Makes 6 servings

1 head Romaine lettuce, torn into pieces,
rinsed, and dried
1 bunch watercress, trimmed,
rinsed, drained, and dried
1/2 cup Port Wine Vinaigrette
(recipe follows)
1 Golden Delicious apple,
cored and thinly sliced
1 Red Delicious apple,
cored and thinly sliced
1/2 cup toasted walnut halves*
1/2 cup crumbled Maytag
blue cheese

*Toast the walnuts in a dry sauté pan or skillet over medium-high
heat until a rich aroma is apparent.

1. Combine the Romaine lettuce and watercress in a salad bowl.
2. Add the Port Wine Vinaigrette and toss to coat lightly.
3. Scatter the sliced apples, walnuts, and blue cheese over the
lettuce and serve.

Variations: A combination of greens with assertive flavors,
such as endive, escarole, chicory, oak leaf, or radicchio, are
good alternatives to the Romaine. Other blue-veined cheeses,
such as Gorgonzola or Roquefort, can replace the Maytag
blue cheese.

Port Wine Vinaigrette

Makes about 1 cup, or enough for 12 servings

1/2 cup fine-quality olive oil
1/4 cup walnut oil
2 tablespoons Port wine
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper,
or to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs
such as chives, parsley, tarragon,
chervil, basil, dill, or others
(optional)

Whisk or shake all ingredients together in a small bowl or jar. Shake or
whisk the vinaigrette again before using if it has stood for more than a
few minutes. Store under refrigeration if the vinaigrette is not needed
immediately. Allow it to return to room temperature before using.

Potato Gnocchi with Pumpkin, Spinach,
and Shiitake Mushrooms

“Gnocchi is the Italian name for bite-sized dumplings. This autumn
variation of a traditional Italian dish relies on the earthy flavor of
wild mushrooms and pumpkin cooked in a beurre noisette.”

Makes 4 servings

2 Idaho potatoes, peeled and diced
1 egg yolk, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/2 to 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups pumpkin cubes (1-inch)
2 tablespoons butter
6 to 8 shiitake mushrooms, stems removed,
cleaned and sliced (about 1 cup)
12 ounces spinach leaves, thoroughly rinsed,
drained, and stems removed
2 tablespoons grated dry Monterey Jack cheese

1. Place the potatoes in a saucepan and add enough cold water to cover.
Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook until fork tender, about
20 minutes. Drain the potatoes, return them to the pan, and steam dry, shaking the pan occasionally, for 2 to 3 minutes.
2. Push the potatoes through a sieve or food mill. Immediately stir the
yolk, oil, salt, and 1/2 cup of flour into the potatoes. Beat with a
wooden spoon until the flour is blended into the potatoes.
3. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead, gra-
dually adding just enough of the remaining flour to create a
smooth pliable dough; it should feel just slightly sticky. Allow
the mixture to cool.
4. Divide the dough into two pieces and roll them into logs about 1 inch
in diameter. Cut the logs into 1/2-inch pieces. Roll the pieces gently
along the inner curves of a fork to complete shaping the gnocchi.
5. Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a rolling boil over high heat.
6. Meanwhile, bring 1 inch of water to a boil in a saucepan with a
steamer insert. Place the pumpkin in the steamer, cover, and
steam until barely tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Uncover and re-
move from heat.
7. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat, and continue to
cook it until there is a distinctly nutty aroma and the butter has just
begun to brown; do not let the butter burn. Add the mushrooms
and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes, just until soft.
8. Add the pumpkin and spinach to the skillet and cook over high
heat, stirring from time to time, for 2 minutes.
9. Lower the heat under the water to reduce it to a simmer. Add the
gnocchi to the pot. As the gnocchi rise to the surface of the water,
remove them with a slotted spoon.
10. Add the drained gnocchi to the pumpkin-mushroom mixture and
toss until they are evenly combined.
11. Serve at once on a heated platter or individual plates and top with
the grated cheese.

Variations: Other wild mushrooms, such as cremini or portobello, can be used
in place of the shiitake. Winter squash may be substituted for the pumpkin.

Oyster Stew

“This stew is a variation of the popular oyster stew that has been served
at New York’s Grand Central Terminal Oyster Bar since 1912.”

Makes 6 to 8 servings

8 ounces shucked oysters
with their juices
2 bacon slices, minced
1 onion, minced
2 tablespoons flour
3 cups milk
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup heavy cream, warmed
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black
pepper, or to taste
Oyster crackers

1. Drain the oysters in a colander set over a bowl. Reserve the juice.
2. Sauté the bacon in a large pot over medium heat until it is crisp and the
fat is rendered. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and reserve.
3. Sauté the onions in bacon fat until tender and translucent, but not brown, about 5 minutes.
4. Add flour, and cook over low heat for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon.
5. Add the milk and reserved oyster juice gradually, whisking constantly to prevent any lumps from forming.
6. Add the bay leaf and simmer for 20 minutes, skimming as necessary.
7. Add the oysters and simmer about 5 minutes, or just until the oysters
are barely cooked. Take care not to overcook the oysters.
8. Add the warm cream and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
9. Ladle the soup into heated bowls and garnish with reserved bacon
and oyster crackers.
 

American Bounty, Part 2
American Bounty, Part 3

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