TheVineyardMom

  Harvest Roasted Vegetables 12 slices of bacon 1 lb. cleaned brussel sprouts halved 1 lb. butternut squashed, peeled, seeded and diced 1 cup fresh cranberries  1 large sprig of fresh rosemary with leaves removed and chopped 1/2 cup chopped pecans 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper Optional:  Drizzle of maple syrup right before serving (approximately 1-2 tbsp.) Preheat oven to 400 degrees Line a baking sheet with foil. In a large skillet, cook bacon until crispy over high heat.  Remove bacon from the skillet and chop into small pieces.  Reserve 1/4 cup of the bacon drippings.  If you have less than 1/4 cup of bacon drippings, add extra virgin olive oil to equal 1/4 cup. In a large mixing bowl, add halved brussel sprouts, diced squash, fresh cranberries and rosemary. Drizzle bacon drippings, salt and pepper over the vegetables and mix well to combine. Spread vegetables in one layer on the baking sheet.  Bake for 40-45 minutes until vegetables are tender. Transfer vegetables to a serving di

1 lb of orzo pasta  1 pumpkin  ½ red onion chopped 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 1 tsp ground cumin ½ tsp ground ginger ½ tsp each of salt and pepper 1 cup crumbled feta cheese ½ cup fresh chopped mint leaves ½ cup fresh parsley chopped 1 tbsp fresh lemon zest Dressing 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice ½ tsp each salt and pepper Preheat oven to 425 degrees Peel pumpkin and remove seeds.  Chop into small cubes to equal 5 cups. Place pumpkin and diced red onion on a baking sheet.  Drizzle extra virgin olive oil over the pumpkin and red onion. Sprinkle it with cumin, ginger, salt and pepper.  Mix well. Roast for 20 minutes,  Using a spatula, flip veggies and continue to cook for another 15 minutes or until veggies are soft and starting to brown. While the pumpkin and red onions are roasting, make the orzo according to package directions. When the orzo is done, drain it well and allow it to cool down in a large mixing bowl. Also, make the dressing while the veggies ar

  Butternut Squash and Apple Cider Soup 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 1/2 large yellow onion finely diced 3 garlic cloves minced 2 large butternut squash  1- 1 ½  cups vegetable stock 1 ½ cups  apple cider 1/2 cup sour cream 1/2 tsp garlic powder 1 tsp each salt and pepper Chopped fresh sage for garnish Peel butternut squash and with a spoon take out the seeds.  Dice squash into 1 inch pieces. This should equal approximately 8 cups,  Heat a large stock pot or dutch oven to medium high and add the extra virgin olive oil.  Saute onions for 5-7 minutes.  Add garlic and saute another 2 minutes. Add butternut squash, vegetable stock and garlic powder to the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and cook for 25-30 minutes or until squash is tender. Using an immersion blender, puree until smooth.  If you don’t have an immersion blender, ladle soup into a blender and blend until smooth.  Do this in several batches to not overcrowd the blender with the hot liquid. Return the blended soup

  Jumbo Pumpkin and Pecan Muffins (Makes 6 large muffins) 2 ½  cups all purpose flour ½ cup sugar ¼ cup light brown sugar 1 tsp baking powder 1 tsp baking soda ¼ tsp salt 2 large eggs 1 cup of canned pumpkin puree ½ cup buttermilk ¼ cup vegetable oil 1 tsp vanilla extract ½ cup chopped pecans Topping ⅓ cup light brown sugar ⅓ cup chopped pecans ¼ cup all purpose flour ¼ cup rolled oats ¼ cup cold butter cubed Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, combine the first 7 ingredients.  In another bowl, combine eggs, pumpkin puree, buttermilk, oil and vanilla. Using a large spoon, Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Fold in the chopped pecans with a spatula. Fill the 6 muffin cups or greased muffin tins.  Fill about ¾ of the way.   In a mixing bowl, combine the brown sugar, pecans, flour and rolled oats.  Add butter cubes and combine until you get small crumbles.  Sprinkle over the batter. Bake for 25-30 minutes.  To check for doneness, insert a toothpick int

4 tbsp butter 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 1/2 cup finely diced yellow onion 1 carrot finely diced 1/2 tsp salt  1/4 tsp ground pepper 1/3 cup red wine; Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot 1/4 cup all purpose flour 3 tbsp tomato paste  2 dried bay leaves 3 1/2  cups vegetable stock 2 28 oz. cans of whole tomatoes 3/4 cups of heavy cream 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil for garnish Optional: 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes Melt the butter in a large stock pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add chopped onions, carrots, salt and pepper (Optional: Add red pepper flakes here for spice) and saute until translucent. This will take approximately 8 minutes.     Add red wine and cook until the liquid is reduced to 2 tbsp. Turn the heat down to low and add the flour and stir.  Once combined, add in the tomato paste and cook for another minute.   Add vegetable broth and bay leaves to the pot.  Using clean hands, break up whole tomatoes as you add them into the pot.  Add the juice from the cans as well. Bring to a