Venison Roast braised in Merlot

4 lb lean Venison roast
2 c Merlot (un-oaked if you can get it)
2 c water
2 lb onions sliced
1 head garlic separated into cloves
3 lb carrots cut into sticks
1/2 lb cremini mushrooms sliced
3 bay leaves
1 tbsp sage
6-8 sprigs fresh rosemary

With a sharp knife puncture holes in the roast and insert garlic cloves evenly into the center of the meat. Spread onions on the bottom of the crock pot. Set the roast on top. Add wine and water to nearly cover the meat. Set crock pot on low and let cook for 6 hours.

Turn up to high and add bay leaves, sage, rosemary, carrots, and mushrooms. Cook three more hours.

Remove roast and set aside to rest 15 minutes. Meanwhile put other contents into a large pan and simmer to reduce and ensure carrots are cooked through.

Slice the roast thinly and place on serving dish.

Serve with veggies au jous.

Best eaten with a glass of good Merlot.

Panna Cotta with Dark Chocolate Ganache & Merlot Wine Gelatin Whip

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• Panna Cotta Ingredients
• 8 cups (1l) heavy cream (or half-and-half)
• 1 cup (100g) sugar
• 4 teaspoons of vanilla extract
• 3 1/2 packets powdered gelatin
• 1/4c cold water

• Dark Chocolate Ganache Ingredients
• 14 oz Hershey's Special Dark Chocolate Chips
• 10 oz Heavy Cream
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• Merlot Gelatin Ingredients
• 1 qt Merlot
• 1/4 cup cold water
• 2 packets powdered gelatin
• 1/2 cup sugar

Prepare Panna Cotta
1. Heat the heavy cream and sugar in a saucepan or microwave. Once the sugar is dissolved, remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract. DO NOT BOIL

2. Sprinkle the gelatin over the cold water in a medium-sized bowl and let stand 5 to 10 minutes.

3. Pour the very warm Panna Cotta mixture over the gelatin and stir until the gelatin is completely dissolved.

4. Divide the Panna Cotta mixture into 24 - 6oz clear plastic cups, then chill them until firm, 
which will take about two hours.

Prepare Ganache
1. Put heavy cream in a double boiler and warm until a single chip melts when put into it.

2. Add the rest of the chips and whisk slowly to melt and blend the Ganache.

3. Take off heat and allow to cool.  Whip occassionally to keep soft.

Prepare Merlot Gelatin
1. Sprinkle gelatin over cold water in a medium mixing bowl and let stand 10 minutes

2. Heat wine and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat until sugar is dissolved.

3. Mix gelatin into wine/sugar mixture and stir until gelatin is completely dissolved.

4. Allow to cool to room temperature.

5. In batches of about 2 cups, place cooled mixture in a bowl over an ice bath.  Whisk occassionally until it just starts to thicken.  Either whisk briskly or use a hand mixer to whip the gelatin into a dense foam.  Scoop foam off into a large container.  Keep the container refrigerated between batches.  Complete the process with all of the wine mixture. Should generate about 1 gal of wine foam.  Refrigerate for at least an hour.

Assemble
In each serving cup, place about 1 to 1 1/2 tsp of ganache on top of set Panna Cotta cream. l

Divide wine gelatin foam evenly into each Panna Cotta cup.  Chill immediately for an hour.

Inspired by Splendid Table (http://splendidtable.org) and Secrets From My Tuscan Kitchen by Judy Witts

Zuppa Toscana

2 pounds bulk mild Italian sausage
1 pound bulk hot Italian sausage

2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
1 lb slices bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

2 large sweet onions (softball sized), diced

8 qt chicken broth

20 potatoes, thinly sliced (about 5 lbs, medium sized)

1 qt heavy cream

1 bunch kale, torn with stems removed

Cook the Italian sausage and red pepper flakes in a skillet oven over medium-high heat until crumbly, browned, and no longer pink, 25 - 30 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Cook the bacon in the same skillet oven over medium heat until crisp, about 20 minutes. Drain, leaving a few tablespoons of drippings with the bacon in the bottom of the pan. Chop bacon into ½” pieces.

Stir in the onions; cook until onions are soft and translucent, about 15 minutes.

In a large stock pot, pour the chicken broth along with the bacon and onions; bring to a boil over high heat. Add the potatoes, and boil until fork tender, about 40 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and stir in the heavy cream and the cooked sausage; heat through. Mix the kale into the soup just before serving.

Yields about 2 ½ gallons of soup

Rueben Dip

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup Thousand Island dressing
16 ounces sauerkraut, rinsed and squeezed dry
8 ounces shredded corned beef
16 ounces shredded Swiss cheese

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

1. In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise and dressing.
2. Spread sauerkraut into a 9x13-inch baking dish. Layer corned beef, Swiss cheese, and the mayonnaise-dressing mixture on top of the sauerkraut.
3. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.

Brandon's Chili

This is impossible to mess up so don't worry about measurements or having it all. You can add other stuff to if you want.  I have never had it go wrong. -- Brandon

Meat and Veggies
1 lb to 2 lb Ground Venison
1/2 lb to 1 lb Ground Beef (80/20 or 70/30)
Olive Oil
Minced Garlic
Parsley
Italian Seasoning
Black Pepper
Chili powder
2 Green Bell Peppers - diced
2 large Sweet Onions - diced

Liquid ingredients
1- Large (28 oz ) cans Crushed Tomato 
2-  Large Can 28 oz Diced Tomato. (Can use Italian style if desired). 
1- Large can Tomato Sauce. (May not need all 28 oz.   
1- 12 oz bottle of hot sauce.   

In a large pan or large Pot (use largest pot  if possible saves dishes) on the stove add olive oil and some fresh garlic minced  you can be generous with both. 

Take all the Venision and add 1/2 lbs to 1 lbs of 80/20 or 70/30 ground beef.    Make sure its defrosted and add to the pot on the stove and cook meat till all the pink is out on Med heat.   Add spices to taste - Parsley, Italian Seasoning, pepper.

Mix Green pepper and Onion in with Meat as its cooking 

After meat & veggies are cooked make sure your pot will have room for the next step.    If not move a bunch of the meat and veggies to crock pot.  

Add crushed and diced tomatoes into the pot.  Bring to a boil then back off the heat to low. Add the hot sauce to taste (I always put the whole bottle in -- Its not that hot).

Add pepper and Chili Powder to taste.  

Move the Tomato mixture into the crock pot with the meat and Veggies.   Stir and taste.   If it needs to he thinned you can add the can of tomato sauce as needed.   

Serve with shredded cheese, sour cream & pepper croutons.

(NOTE: You can put the crock pot in the fridge overnight and heat day of.   It does take several hours on high to heat if it was in the fridge the whole night.)

Recipe courtesy of Brandon Bower

Apple & Thyme Custard Tart

Tart Dough
3 C confectioners sugar
4 1/2 C all-purpose flour
½ tsp salt
3 sticks of butter (4 oz, or 1/2 C)
3 eggs

Sift together the confectioners sugar, flour, and salt.

Beat the butter until smooth; add the flour mixture and egg. Mix just until it comes together as an evenly formed mass. Wrap in plastic and chill in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
When ready to bake, working quickly, line the sheet pan with the dough. Trim off any excess dough that hangs over the edges. Prick the bottom of the crust with a fork a few times.
Enough for 2 – 12x18 cookie sheets

Tart Filling

5 - 6 crisp apples (peeled, cored, and thinly sliced) - I used Macintosh

5 eggs

2 1/2 c sugar
2 cup heavy cream

4 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 teaspoons fresh thyme

3 teaspoon grated nutmeg

Toss apple slices with lemon juice, nutmeg, and thyme. Working from the one end, toward the other, lay the apple slices in the tart shell in a consistent linear pattern, overlapping them slightly.

Gently whisk together the eggs, sugar, cream, and vanilla, until just combined. Pour the custard mixture over the apple slices.

Bake tart at 375 F until the crust is golden and center is set, 30 to 40 minutes. (Note: if you find your crust is browning too quickly, cover the tart with aluminum foil for the duration of baking.) Allow the tart to cool before serving.

Adapted and scaled for larger pan size from Rosemarried.com

Savory Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Crostini

2 French baguette, cut into diagonal 1/2 inch slices
extra virgin olive oil
2 lg Hershey's Special Dark Chocolate bars
sea salt

Preheat broiler (High setting) and set the oven rack on the top level. Line two baking sheets with foil.

Arrange baguette slices in a single layer on the baking sheet. Place under broiler until golden (watch carefully the burn easily). Turn each slice over and broil until reverse side is golden. Turn off broiler.

Turn each slice over again; drizzle with olive oil. Push chocolate piece into the center of each slice and return baking sheet to oven for 2 more minutes. Remove from oven and lightly sprinkle each chocolate piece with sea salt.

(based on recipe found on AllRecipes)