• Grit Cakes
• 1 cup Weisenberger Mill Grits
• 4 cups Chicken Stock
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 garlic clove minced
• ½ cup Romano cheese shredded

Bring stock, salt, and garlic to a boil in a sauce pan. Add grits and cook until thick using a stiff wire whisk. Whisk in Romano cheese. While still hot pour into a greased 9 x 13 pan and refrigerate until completely set.

Cut grits using a small biscuit cutter and put on a sheet pan. Next spoon about ¼ teaspoon of the caramelized onions on top of the grit cakes. Gently warm them in a 300 degree oven for 15-20 minutes. Using a offset spatula transfer grit cakes to serving tray.

• Caramelized Onions
• 1 ½ pounds onions (small dice)
• 2 tablespoon bacon grease
• 2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon light brown sugar
• ¼ teaspoon pepper (add more if desired)

Sauté onions in bacon grease. Cook over high heat for approximately 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Onions will begin to soften and release some of their juices. Reduce heat to medium. Continue to cook, stirring often. If the onions begin to cook too fast and scorch, reduce the heat immediately. As onions begin to soften add Worcestershire sauce and brown sugar. Cook until onions have a glossy look, and are a deep, rich brown color. This may take 40 to 50 minutes.

• Dough:
• 2 ¼ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt
• ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ cup cold unsalted butter
• 1 large egg
• 1/3 cup milk

Mix dry ingredients together, cut butter into flour mixture till looks like course corn meal,

Make well in to center, place eggs and milk and stir together until dough forms. Chill dough for at least 2 hours before ready to use, may be made a day ahead.

• Filling:
• 1 pound Broadbent Smoked Sausage
• ½ cup golden raisins
• ½ cup cheddar cheese

Brown sausage in skillet; set aside and allow to cool

Stir in raisins and cheese

Roll Dough out to ¼" thick, cut into 24 3inch circles,

Place 1 teaspoon of filling in center of each round,

Fold top over and crimp edges with fork to seal.

Brush with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and Bake at 350 for 10 minutes (or may deep fry until golden brown).

• 2 Tablespoon olive oil
• 2 large garlic cloves, sliced
• 2 cups pumpkin seeds
• 15oz peeled and diced tomatoes discard seeds (may use well drained canned tomatoes)
• ½ heaping teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 bunch chopped green onions
• 2 jalapeno peppers chopped
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 3 Tablespoon lime juice
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Heat 1 Tablespoon of olive oil, garlic in skillet over medium heat until softened (this will take several minutes). Set aside to cool.

Toss remaining olive oil and pumpkin seeds in bowl then spread onto cookie sheet and bake in oven for 10 minutes until toasted and lightly browned

Place garlic and seeds in food processor and puree till smooth.

Spoon into bowl, add all remaining ingredients and fold together until evenly incorporated.

Yields: about 4 – 6 servings

• 1 large butternut squash
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons sea salt

To make the squash stock:

• Skin and seeds of one butternut squash
• ½ onion chopped
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 rib celery chopped
• 1 small carrot chopped
• 6 cups water

For soup garnishes:

• 5 dried figs sliced thin
• Chiffonade of country ham
• Fried blue corn hominy
• Brussel sprout leaves
• 4 teaspoons pumpkinseed oil to garnish
• Sea salt and pepper

Start by peeling the butternut squash and de-seeding it. Put the skins and seeds into one large pot along with the other squash stock ingredients. Bring to a simmer and let simmer for about 15 – 20 minutes.

Chop up the flesh of the squash. You should have about 3 pounds of the flesh. Toss with olive oil and sea salt. Put on a baking tray and roast in a 400 degree oven for about 25 minutes or until they are very soft to the touch.

Strain out the squash stock. Discard the solids and reserve the stock. Use this to puree the soup. You probably only will need about 3 – 4 cups of the stock. Use more if you want a thinner soup and less if you like a thicker soup. Taste for salt and pepper seasoning.

Saute the brussel sprout leaves in a pan over medium heat with a little olive oil until just tender, about 1 or 2 minutes.

To finish the soup, add a few fig slices to each soup bowl, along with a little of the country ham, fried hominy, about 3 brussel sprout leaves. Ladle about 4 oz of soup into each bowl and drizzle with a bit of pumpkinseed oil. Crack a little fresh black pepper and add a few grains of sea salt to finish. Serve immediately.

• For the Cornbread Dressing:
• ½ cup diced celery root or celery stalks
• ½ cup diced carrot
• 1 cup diced yellow onion
• ½ cup butter
• 3 cups of crumbled corn bread
• 1 cup of cubed toasted white bread
• 1 pound veal sausage or bulk sausage
• 1 cup roasted, peeled chestnuts, chopped
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 tsp dried sage, or more to taste
• 1 cup chicken stock, plus additional if needed

Saute the celery, carrot, and onion in the butter. Add to the corn bread and toasted bread cubes in a large bowl. Cook and crumble the sausage, adding it to the bread mixture, along with the chestnuts. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and sage. Add the chicken stock, plus a little bit more if it seems dry.

Reserve.

To roast the veal:
Butterfly open the breast or any roast of veal -- stuff the cavity with the corn bread dressing. Tie. Season the out side with salt and pepper

• In a roasting pan, combine:
• 2 large onions cut in wedges
• 2 large carrots, cut into large chunks
• 2 large ribs of celery or celery root cut into large chunks
• 1 bunch fresh thyme or a pinch of dry thyme
• 3 bay leaves
• 2 quarts of fresh apple cider
• 1 cup Woodford or your favorite bourbon

Brown the roast. Lay in the pan. Roast at 300 degrees for about 3- hours. Basting and adding a little more apple cider if needed or a little chicken stock.

Remove to a meat platter. Remove the ties. Slice and surround with roasted apples and kabocha squash, recipes follow.

Strain the pan juices, skim the fat, and pour over the roast.

• Roasted Apples:
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tsp. cinnamon
• ¼ tsp. ground cloves
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 tbsp butter
• Evan's Orchard apples or your favorite roasting apple, such as golden delicious, which holds together very well
• ¼ cup bourbon, or more to taste

In a small bowl, mix together sugar, cinnamon, cloves, and salt.

To prepare the apples, halve and remove the core with a melon baller.

Melt butter in a pan. Dip the cut side of the apple in the sugar mixture and place in the pan.. Sprinkle a little more sugar in the pan. Let work till a little brown. Add a good shot or more of bourbon.

Finish in 350 or 300 degree oven for about 20 minutes or until tender.

• Kabocha Squash:
• 1 kabocha squash
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt, to season

Peel the squash, seed, and cut into wedges. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Roast in a 350 degree oven until tender.

• 4 lbs local apples, peeled, cored, and sliced into ¼ inch slices
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 ½ tsp cinnamon
• ¾ tsp nutmeg
• 1 tbsp freshly grated ginger
• Pinch salt
• 2 tbsp butter

Toss the apples with the sugars, lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt.

Heat the butter in a large pan and gently sauté the fruit, just to lightly caramelize the apples and melt the sugars. Continue to cook for 5-7 minutes total, just until apples begin to soften on the edges, but are not fully cooked. Cool.

• Pie Crust:
• 2 ½ cups flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 ½ sticks butter
• ½ cup shortening
• ¼ cup vodka
• ¼ cup ice water

Combine flour, salt, and sugar in a bowl. Cut in the butter and shortening with a pastry blender or with your fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal. Alternately, blend dry mixture with fat in a food processor to achieve the same result. Add the vodka and ice water and gently stir to form a moist dough. Divide into two disks, wrap, and refrigerate.

Roll out dough, transfer to a pie pan, add apple filling, then top with a top crust. Crimp edges, egg wash if desired, then prick the top with a fork or cut steam vents with a paring knife. Bake at 425 degrees until top crust browns, about 20-25 minutes. Reduce heat to 375 and continue to bake for 25-35 minutes. Serve with Caramel Bourbon Sauce, if desired.

• Caramel Bourbon Sauce:
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 tbsp bourbon
• Salt, to taste

Bring the sugar and water to a boil over high heat in a heavy saucepan, washing down the sides of the pot with a wet pastry brush to avoid crystallization. Once the syrup reaches a dark amber color, remove from heat and add the cream carefully, as it will bubble violently. Once it dies down and cools slightly, stir in the bourbon and add a pinch of salt to taste.

• Crisp Topping:
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup pecans, chopped (or use almonds or a combination of the two)
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 ¼ sticks butter, melted

Combine flour, pecans, oats, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Add the melted butter and stir until combined and crumbly.

Add ½ cup dried cranberries to the apple filling, transfer to a baking dish, and sprinkle the topping evenly over the fruit. Bake at 400 degrees until filling is bubbly and topping is golden brown, about 30-40 minutes. Serve with Sorghum Whipped Cream, if desired.

• Sorghum Whipped Cream:
• 1 cup cold heavy cream
• 2 tbsp sorghum, or more to taste

Whip cream and sorghum together until soft peaks form.

• Johnnycake Cobbler Topping
• 1½ cups flour
• ½ cup white or yellow cornmeal (I prefer yellow)
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• ½ stick unsalted butter, cold and cut into small pieces
• 1 ¼ cups heavy cream, plus additional if needed
• Raw sugar, for sprinkling

Combine the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Work the butter into the flour mixture with your fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal. Alternately, use a food processor to process the dry ingredients with the butter. Add 1 cup of cream and stir with a fork to form a moist dough, adding more cream if necessary. Top apple mixture with this dough, sprinkle with raw sugar, and bake at 425 degrees until well browned and crisp, about 15-20 minutes for individual ramekins and longer for a large pan, about 30-40 minutes. Serve with Cinnamon Ice Cream, if desired.

• Cinnamon Ice Cream
• 3 cups whole milk
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 ¼ cups sugar, divided
• 4 cinnamon sticks
• 8 egg yolks
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• Pinch salt

Combine the milk, cream, ¾ cup sugar, and cinnamon sticks in a saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Remove from heat and allow to steep for at least 30 minutes. In a large bowl, whisk together remaining sugar, egg yolks, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt. Bring the milk back to a simmer and temper into the egg mixture and slowly streaming the hot liquid into the eggs while whisking constantly. Return the custard mixture back to the saucepan and cook on low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens to coat the back of a spoon. Strain into a clean bowl set over an ice bath and chill completely. Freeze in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's directions.