Thanksgiving and Halloween are the two holidays that make us happiest. That’s according to Facebook’s recent online survey, which documents our attitudes about traditional holidays. While Halloween is all about costumes, candy, pumpkins, parades and trick-or-treating, Thanksgiving encompasses the joys of family and friends gathering for a communal dinner. Halloween is a form of entertainment, while Thanksgiving is about families, shared experience and food. The preparation, planning, cooking and eating are all part of the communal experience, a way for family members near and far to reconnect, and to remind themselves of the joy of gathering for a sumptuous feast in celebration of the harvest. In fact, we celebrate one another; we celebrate another year past and we celebrate our own recipes, our own way of doing things, the dinner we make that is in most ways completely traditional, but somehow uniquely our own at the same time.

Fall is the time to visit our local farmers’ markets in search of the bountiful harvest we are so lucky to have access to in the Hudson Valley. And given the freshest local ingredients, all of us have traditional ways of preparing them that define the phrase “home-made.” But let’s not forget the Hudson Valley is home not only to wonderful farms and farmers’ markets; we now have world class restaurants, and chefs who have their own, unique ideas about holiday cooking.

Hoping to encourage our readers to add one or two fresh ideas to their traditional tables, The Hudson Independent has asked four local chefs to contribute a favored dish from their Thanksgiving holiday recipe cache. Maybe it’s time for us to shed some of our old and treasured family stand-bys and try something new, recipes gleaned from top chefs who have learned, over the years, what their customers really love to eat on Thanksgiving.

Chef/Owner Jill Rose of Chibouste, Chef David Haviland of Equus at the Castle, Chef Bruce Beaty at Red Hat on the River in Irvington and Chef Paul D. Weber at the Marriott’s Harvest Grille will all be busy cooking for Thanksgiving. We thank them for taking the time to share their recipes with our readers. (Go to www.thehudsonindependent.com for more Thanksgiving recipes from our chefs.)

Jill Rose – Chibouste’s

Stuffed Roasted Figs with Dates and Black Walnuts

(4 servings)

Poaching Figs

12 ea Black Mission Figs (Slightly firm)

2-½ cups Sweet Vermouth

1/4 cup Sugar

2 ea Cinnamon Stick

2 ea Clove

1 ea Vanilla Bean Seeded

8 ea Black Peppercorns

Combine all in heavy bottom saucepan and bring to boil, Place figs and simmer for 10-20 minutes depending upon ripeness or until softened but still slightly firm, then remove from the liquid with slotted spoon and let cool. Bring the liquid back to boil and simmer to reduce to a thin syrup consistency. Let cool. Place cooled poached figs in the cooled syrup until ready to stuff. This step can be made several days in advance.

Filling

4 oz Butter

4 oz Sugar. Paddle with butter until mixed well and light and fluffy

2 ea Egg yolk. Add to above mixture slowly

2 oz Cake Flour. Combine to above

1 tsp Salt. Add to above and paddle until well mixed

8 oz Toasted black walnuts rough chopped

8 oz Medjool dates rough chopped. Fold into above

Assembly

Stuff the figs with approximately 1 tablespoon of filling mixture from the bottom. Place 3 stuffed figs in oven safe ramekins or bowls Drizzle with syrup and grated orange zest. Bake in 375 deg F oven for 10 minutes. Serve with Greek yogurt or vanilla ice-cream.

Paul Beaty – Red Hat on the River’s

Savory Wild Mushroom & Leek Bread Pudding

(Serves 6 to 8)

This savory bread pudding is very similar to a stuffing or dressing one might serve for Thanksgiving. We currently serve it with our roasted natural Amish farm chicken. It would go equally well with any other roasted fowl, meat or veal preparation.

1 day-old baguette bread, cut into 1-½ inch cubes

1-1/3 cups milk

1-1/3 cups heavy cream

2/3 cup dried mushrooms (½ ounce) such as porcini or morels

2 pounds assorted fresh wild mushrooms, such as cremini, shiitake, oyster, chanterelle, or portobello mushrooms, sliced into bite-sized pieces

3 tablespoons canola oil

½ pound washed and thinly sliced leek, white part only

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

6 whole eggs

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves

2 ½ teaspoons fine sea salt, or to taste

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. Boil the milk , cream and dried mushrooms, turn off heat and let mushrooms infuse for 30 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, in a large saute pan, saute the fresh mushrooms in the canola oil until cooked and a little colored, about 5 minutes.Set aside.

4. Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in another saute pan and add the leeks , along with a few tablespoons of water, and cook gently without coloring until leeks are tender, about 4 minutes.

5. In a large bowl, combine the bread, mushroom cream, mushrooms, leeks, eggs, and thyme. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

6. Lightly grease a 13 x 9 inch oven-proof pyrex dish with the remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Add the bread mixture to the dish and smooth the top evenly.

7. Bake for approximately 1 hour until top is golden and it is set in the middle. Remove from oven and serve at once.

Paul D. Weber – Marriott’s Harvest Grille’s

Butternut Squash Soup

( 8 servings)

2 lbs. peeled, seeded, ½ inch pieces butternut squash

1 quart chicken stock/broth from good quality chicken base

4 Tblsp. butter

1 large onion

Large pinch ground nutmeg

½ cup heavy cream

Dash to ¼ tsp. 2nd ground nutmeg

Procedure:

1. Melt butter in heavy, large saucepan over medium heat

2. Add onion and saute until tender, about 5 minutes

3. Add chicken stock and nutmeg (first listed)

4. Cover and simmer until squash is tender, about 20 minutes

5. Working in batches, puree soup in blender or Cuisinart until smooth

6. Return to same saucepan and stir in cream

7. Flavor to taste with salt, pepper and additional nutmeg. Serve hot.

David Haviland – Equus at the Castle’s

Cranberry Chutney

3 cups fresh cranberries

1 ¼ cups finely dice onions

1 ¼ cups small diced pineapple

3 cloves garlic, finely diced

2 tbsps. Finely diced gingerroot

1 tsp. grated orange zest

º cup freshly squeezed orange juice

1 cup red wine vinegar

1 ½ cups granulated sugar

1 cup golden raisin

1 cup water

1 tsp. dry mustard

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. ground cloves

½ tsp. cayenne pepper

In a large stainless steel saucepan, combine cranberries, onions, pineapple, garlic, gingerroot, orange zest, and juice and vinegar. Bring to a boil. Cover and boil gently until cranberries soften and burst – about 15 minutes. Add sugar, raisins, water, mustard, cinnamon, cloves and cayenne. Boil gently, stirring frequently, for about 15 minutes. Let cool completely. (The mixture should be slightly runny and will thicken upon cooling.)

Chef Paul Weber, Mariott Hotel Harvest Grille’s

Cornbread Stuffing

1 lb. Cornbread
2 slices Cooked, crisp bacon
2 Tblsp. Butter
1 each Chopped yellow onion
1 each Thinly sliced celery
¼ cup Chicken stock
1 Apple, peeled and cored and chopped
1 Bay leaf
1 Tsp. Dried savory
1 Tsp. Dried, rubbed sage
1 Tsp. Dried marjoram
1 Tsp. Dried thyme
1 Tsp. Dried basil
To taste Salt and freshly ground pepper
6 Tblsp. Softened butter

1. Crumble cornbread on a sheet pan and bake until golden brown and dry, 20 to 30 minutes. Cool slightly and then transfer to a large bowl.

2. Cook bacon in a skillet over medium heat until brown and crisp – 6 to 10 minutes. Add bacon and drippings to cornbread. Melt butter in same skillet, add onions and celery, and cook for 5 minutes. Add to cornbread mixture. Stir in chicken stock, apply, bay leaf, savory, sage, marjoram, thyme and basil and season to taste with salt and pepper.

3. Place the cornbread mixture into a buttered, rectangular lasagna pan or pyrex dish (11 by 15) and place in preheated 350 degree oven. Bake until crisp on top and heated through. Serve immediately.

Note: If stuffing is too dry, drizzle additional chicken stock over the cornbread once it is in the pan, before putting in the oven.

Technically, “stuffing” is called “dressing” if it is served outside the turkey or fowl….but this mixture could easily be placed inside a turkey and be delicious real stuffing as well.

Chef David Haviland, Equus at the Castle on the Hudson’s

Pear Port Compote

1 cup Dark raisins
1 cup Golden raisins
½ cup Small diced dried apricots
1 orange Grated zest of, plus juice
1 lemon Grated zest of, plus juice
½ cup Lightly packed brown sugar
2 Tsp. Ground cinnamon
2 Tsp. Ground nutmeg
½ Tsp. Ground ginger
½ Tsp. Salt
¼ cup Port wine
10 cups Small diced, cored, peeled, peeled pears
(preferably Bartlett), treated to prevent browning – coat with with lemon juice- and then drained if necessary.
1 cup Slivered blanched almonds (optional)

1. In a large stainless steel saucepan, combine dark and golden raisins, apricots, orange zest and juice, lemon zest and juice, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, salt and port wine. Gently fold in pears and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer gently for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover, increase heat to medium and cook, stirring frequently, until mixture thickens. Stir in almonds, if using. Cook, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes. Cool before serving – it will thicken as it cools.

Chef David Haviland, Equus at Castle on the Hudson’s

Honey-Spiced Pears

1 cup Granulated sugar
4 cups Water
2 Cups Liquid honey
8 lbs. Small pears, peeled, cored, and small diced
6 Cinnamon sticks
2 each Star anise
1 ½ tsp. Whole allspice
¾ tsp. Whole cloves

1. Prepare canner, jars and lids

2. In a large stainless steel saucepan, combine sugar, water, honey, in a sachet of cheesecloth add cinnamon, anise, allspice and cloves. Bring to boil over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat to low, add pears and warm until heated through, about 3 minutes per payer.

3. Using a slotted spoon, pack hot pears into hot jars to within a generous ½ inch of top of jar. Discard sachet and ladle hot syrup into jar to cover pears, leaving ½ inch headspace. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace, if necessary, by adding hot syrup. Wipe rim. Center lid on jar. Screw band down until resistance is met, then increase to fingertip-tight.

4. Place jars in canner, ensuring they are completely covered with water. Bring to a boil and process 25 minutes. Remove canner lid. Wait 5 minutes, then remove jars, cool and store.

5. Canning process is optional, recipe can he held up to 2 weeks in cold storage.