CHESTNUT GROWERS OF AMERICABreakfasts
Brianne's Brunettes
High Rock Farm
GLUTEN FREE
6 eggs, beaten
2 cups sugar
1 1/3 cup chestnut flour
½ cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ cup pecans – fine chopped
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13 pan. Mix eggs, sugar and flour in bowl – mix well. Melt butter and add to bowl. Add vanilla to contents of bowl. Pour mixture into greased 13x9 pan. Sprinkle toasted pecans on top of mixture.
Bake for 15-20 minutes.
Test for completion by inserting knife into center
Chestnut Buttery Biscuits
Allen Creek Farm
GLUTEN FREE
1/2 C brown rice flour
1/2 C chestnut flour
1/2 C potato starch
1/4 C tapioca flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
3/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp xanthan gum
4 tbsp buttermilk powder
1/2 cube butter
1 1/4 C water
1 1/2 tsp lemon juice or vinegar
1 egg, beaten
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl thoroughly combine the dry ingredients. Grate the butter into the flour. Add the water, lemon juice and beaten egg to the flour and stir until dry and liquid ingredients are combined. Using a large spoon, drop the dough onto a greased pan to make 12 biscuits. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Yields 12 biscuits.
Entrees
Braised Chicken and Chestnuts
1 lb chicken breasts or thighs
Marinade:
1 tbsp shaoxing wine
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp corn starch
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 white onion chopped
1 tsp dried ginger
Sauce:
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp shaoxing wine
2 tsp sesame oil
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp corn starch
2 tsp water
1/2 C water
8 oz dried chestnuts or 1 lb fresh
Rehydrate the chestnuts or cut the fresh in half and boil the fresh for 7.5 minutes and peel.
Mix the marinade ingredients in a large bowl. Dice the chicken and stir into the marinade to cover. Refrigerate for up to 30 minutes. In a skillet heat the 1 tbsp oil and add the checken. Cook until lightly browned -- about 5 minutes. Then add the onion and ginger. Saute for a few minutes.
Stir in the sauce ingredients except for the water. When well mixed, add the water. When the sauce begins to boil add the chestnuts. Simmer covered for 20 minutes.
Serve over hot steamed rice. Serves 2-4 people.
Side Dishes
Chestnut, Squash and Blue Cheese Soup
8 oz. chestnuts
1 lb butternut squash peeled and diced
3 oz blue cheese roughly chopped
2 C vegetable stock
1 small onion finely sliced
2 sticks of celery finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic crushed
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp butter
2 slices of pancetta
1 slice of bread diced
2 tbsp Rosemary leaves
olive oil
salt and pepper
Serves 4
Pre-heat the oven to 375 deg. Roast or boil the chestnuts and peel. Put your diced squash on a cookie sheet, add enough olive oil to coat each piece and drizzle with the honey. Season with salt and put on the top shelf of the oven. Cook the squash for about 30 mins or until the squash begins to colour. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
- In a saucepan heat a drizzle of olive oil and the butter, then add the garlic onions and celery. Saute for about 5 minutes or until they become soft and begin to brown.
- Add the peeled chestnuts to the pan, then add the squash and continue to cook for 5 minuets. Add the stock and allow to simmer for 20 minuets. Remove the pan from the heat, crumble in the blue cheese and blend the soup with a hand blender until smooth.
- To top the soup simply fry the pancetta in a little olive oil until crispy and cut into small pieces. In the remaining fat in the pan fry the diced bread and rosemary with a little salt until crisp. Sprinkle them over the soup just before eating with a dash of cream.
Appetizers
Chestnut Dip
1/2 lb fresh chestnuts
5 1/2 oz. parsnips, chopped
1 garlic clove, very finely chopped
juice of 1 lemon
4 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp paprika
2 tbsp tahini
salt
Boil or roast chestnuts and peel.
Simmer the peeled chestnuts and chopped parsnips in lightly salted water (in a medium saucepan, garlic, lemon, olive oil and spices into a food processor. for about 20 minutes. Drain, reserving 2 to 3 tablespoons of cooking liquid.
Tip the chestnuts, parsnips, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil and spices into a food processor. Blend until creamy. If the mixture is particularly thick, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of the cooking liquid to loosen.
Add the tahini. Blend again and then check the seasoning.
Serve at room temperature.
Very nice on crackers, absolutely delicious with hot sausages!