Shopping list

Where to find Wisconsin artisan cheeses:

Locally: Antonelli’s Cheese Shop, Central Market, Whole Foods

Online: Schoolhouse Artisan Cheese, www.schoolhouseartisancheese.com

Wisconsin Dried Cherries and Cranberries

Online: Orchard Country, www.orchardcountry.com

Cranberry Apple and Port Tartin

1 box puff pastry, use only one piece

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter

1 small onion, finely chopped

12 ounces fresh cranberries

1/2 cup golden raisins

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1 cup honey

1/2 cup maple syrup

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. coriander

1/4 cup port wine

3/4 cup white wine

1 large tart apple, peeled, cored and chopped into a 1/4 inch dice

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Melt butter over medium heat. Add onion and cook until softened, about 4 minutes. Add remaining ingredients except the apple. Simmer for 40-50 minutes until thick and cranberries are softened. Remove from heat and add diced apple. Cool.

Cut puff pastry with a cookie cutter slightly larger than your muffin tin opening. Place in freezer until ready to use.

Brush muffin tins with melted butter. Place a heaping tablespoon of thick chutney at the bottom of muffin tin and top with puff pastry. Bake for 20-25 minutes. For best results, minimize the amount of time the oven door is open. This will reduce the oven temperature rendering the puff pastry soggy instead of flaky.

Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely for at least 5 minutes. Loosen edges and invert onto a large sheet pan. Let rest for 5 minutes to allow the chutney to loosen completely. Store remaining chutney in a glass jar in the refrigerator.

Serve at room temperature with a slice of Marieke aged Gouda. Serves 6 as appetizer with extra chutney.

— Janice Thomas, Savory Spoon Cooking School

Apple and Fennel Soup

3 medium size apples (Door County Honey Crisp or Cortland)

1 medium size fennel bulb, core and stems removed and diced

1 medium shallot, sliced

2 small inner stems celery with leaves, chopped

4 cups chicken or vegetable stock

½ cup dry white wine

Salt and freshly ground white pepper

Juice of 1 lemon

1 2/3 cups heavy cream

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

2 Tbsp. domestic sturgeon caviar or crème fraiche (recipe follows)

Peel and core 2-1/2 apples, cut into quarters and place in 3-quart saucepan with fennel, shallot, celery, stock, wine, salt and pepper. Simmer 20 minutes until all are tender.

Core and finely dice remaining half apple, toss with half the lemon juice, cover tightly or seal in a bowl and set aside.

Puree contents of saucepan in a blender; return to pot. Whisk in remaining lemon juice, cream and mustard. Bring to a simmer, check seasonings and serve, with diced apples and caviar or crème fraiche. Soup can be prepared ahead and gently rewarmed. Yield: 6 servings or more as a first course.

— Janice Thomas, Savory Spoon Cooking School

Crème Fraiche

1 cup heavy cream

1-2 Tbsp. buttermilk

Let rest in a glass bowl on the counter overnight. It will be set in the morning or a bit later if the house is cold. If resting on a cold countertop, place bowl on a towel.

Warm Cabbage Salad

1 head Savoy cabbage

1/4 lb. bacon, chopped, plus extra strips for garnish

1 Tbsp. whole grain mustard

2 Tbsp. sherry wine vinegar

1/4 cup hazelnut oil

1/3 pound crumbled Wisconsin Buttermilk Blue Cheese

1/2 cup roasted hazelnuts, coarsely chopped, reserving some whole for garnish

3 Tbsp. chopped, dried Door County Cherries, plus extra for garnish

Cut Savoy cabbage in half and rinse well. Cut into thin (julienne) slices. Use only the tender frilly leaves and avoid the tough stem. Should have about 8 cups. Set aside.

Dice bacon into 1/2 inch cubes. Cook bacon in a skillet over medium-high heat until crisp. Remove bacon to drain on a paper towel and reserve drippings.

Whisk together the mustard and vinegar in a small bowl. Slowly drizzle in the oil while whisking. Set aside dressing.

In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons bacon drippings over medium-high heat. Add the cabbage and toss to coat. Add the bacon and continue to toss until the cabbage is wilted.

Drizzle 2 to 3 tablespoons dressing over the wilted cabbage. Toss well. Divide among 4 salad plates. Sprinkle with crumbled blue cheese, hazelnuts and dried cherries. Make a garnish of dried cherries, whole hazelnuts, and a strip of bacon.

Serve warm. Serves 4.

— Janice Thomas, Savory Spoon Cooking School

White Fish En Papillote with Lemon and Herbs

4 (6-ounce) whitefish fillets, about 3/4-inch thick (if whitefish is unavailable, substitute sole or tilapia. If using a thicker fish, like halibut, increase cooking time to 13-15 minutes total.)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 (1/4-inch-thick) lemon slices or one whole lemon, sliced

2 Yukon gold potatoes, washed and sliced thin

1 medium onion, peeled and sliced

2 medium zucchini, sliced thin

4 sprigs of fresh herbs (dill, thyme, tarragon, oregano, chives)

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into bits

Put a rack in the middle of oven and preheat oven to 500 degrees.

Cut four 12- by 15-inch sheets of parchment paper (or foil). Fold each sheet crosswise in half to crease, cut into heart-shaped pieces then unfold.

Season fish with salt and pepper and place 3-4 potato slices and 1 fillet to right crease of each sheet.

Top each fillet with an onion slice, 3-4 zucchini slices, herb sprig, 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes, and half tablespoon. butter. Working with one package at a time, fold left half of parchment over fillet. Starting at one corner of crease, fold edge of parchment over in triangles (each fold should overlap previous one), following a semicircular path around fillet, smoothing out folds as you go. Tuck under last fold to seal papillote completely. For a decorative presentation, use kitchen string to tie in a rosemary sprig.

Put papillotes on a baking sheet and bake for 9 minutes. Place each packet on a dinner plate, cut open parchment, and serve.

The packets can be arranged ahead of time and brought to room temperature before baking.

Thomas’ Favorite Additions: Add Kalamata or other brine-cured black olives, pitted and thinly sliced. Layer the ingredients on top of a chard leaf. Alternate zucchini with yellow squash slices for color. Serves 4.

— Janice Thomas, Savory Spoon Cooking School

Apple Clafoutis with Nutmeg Cream

Batter:

3 large eggs

1 cup whole milk

1 tsp. vanilla

6 Tbsp. melted butter

2/3 cup flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup sugar

Combine eggs, milk, vanilla and melted butter in a blender. Add flour, salt and sugar and blend until smooth.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Apples:

6 Tbsp. unsalted butter

1/3 cup sugar

5 cups peeled apples, cut into eighths or about the size of a fresh cherry (Granny Smith, Courtland or Johnagold)

3 Tbsp. brandy

1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon combined with 2 Tbsp. sugar

1 cup heavy whipping cream

Freshly grated nutmeg

Melt half the butter in a sauté pan over medium high heat and add half the sugar and half the apples and sauté until golden and caramelized. Apples should maintain shape and not overcook. Do not overcrowd or apples will not caramelize properly. Place in a bowl and repeat with the second batch of apples. Return the first batch to the sauté pan and add the brandy. Cook for 1 minute. Adjust for sweetness. Save the apple juice for syrup.

Place 1 tablespoon butter in a 10-inch pie pan and place in the oven for 1 minute or until melted. Remove from the oven and pour in half the batter. With a slotted spoon, place the sautéed apples on the batter and top with remaining batter. Top with cinnamon-sugar. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until golden. Let rest at least 3-4 minutes before serving.

Serve warm or at room temperature, cut into wedges and topped with nutmeg whipped cream. Garnish with additional freshly grated nutmeg. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

— Janice Thomas, Savory Spoon Cooking School