St. Johnsbury Favorite Recipes
A few folks share their tasty Vermont Recipes. (Click here to view more recipes and add your own!)
Recipe from Lorette Desrochers, St. Johnsbury, Vermont
Maple Fudge
Ingredients:
2 cups maple syrup
1 Tablespoon light corn syrup
3/4 cup thin cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup nuts coarsely chopped
Combine syrups and cream in saucepan and place on low flame. Stir constantly until it boils. Continue cooking without stirring until soft ball stage (236 degrees)
Remove from heat and cool to lukewarm. Beat until mixture thickens and loses its gloss. Add vanilla, nuts and pour at once onto 8 in. buttered pan.
When cool, cut into squares.
Watch as it tends to stick as it cooks!
Recipe from Elements Food and Spirit Chef, Ryan O'Malley
Chef Ryan O'Malley has been executive chef at Elements Food and Spirit since its opening in 2003. Prior to his tenure at Elements, Ryan was executive chef at the Saranac Hotel in upstate New York. At Elements he has created a constantly changing menu centered on fresh local ingredients: modern comfort food with a global perspective. Ryan has a bachelor's degree from Paul Smith's College and is a graduate of the culinary arts program at St. Johnsbury Academy.
Goat Cheese Cheese Cake
Ingredients:
6 oz fresh goat cheese
6 oz cream cheese
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon corn starch
fine zest of one-half lemon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 whole egg at room temperature
2 egg yolks at room temperature
3 tablespoons créme fraîche
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Using a wooden spoon, mix the goat cheese and cream cheese until smooth.
Stir in sugar until combined.
Add the lemon zest and vanilla, stir until combined.
Add the whole egg and egg yolks, stir until combined.
Add the corn starch, stir until combined.
Add the créme fraîche, stir until combined.
Pour the batter into five, 5 oz ovenproof ramekins. (The ramekins should be filled nearly to the top.) Place the ramekins in a 2 inch baking pan. Pour enough hot water into the pan to come halfway up the outside of the ramekins. Place the pan carefully in the oven.
Bake for an hour and 45 minutes. (Pull from the oven before the tops become golden brown.) Let cool completely before serving.
Makes 5 individual servings.
Here’s a recipe from Chef Gerard Prevost,who has been teaching culinary arts at St. Johnsbury Academy for many years. This recipe is made by the students at the Academy every holiday season:
Pork Pie (Tourtiere)
yield: eight 9-inch pies
Ground Pork - 10 lbs.
Mashed Potato - 5 cups
Ground Raw Onions - 1 lb.
Salt - 5 teas.
Pepper - 2 teas.
Bell’s Poultry Seasoning - 4 teas.
Pie Dough as needed
Cook the ground pork until it is well done. Drain the grease from it.
In a mixing bowl add the remaining ingredients and mix well.
Roll out eight bottoms for 8 nine-inch pie tins. Divide the meat mixture between the tins and cover with 8 tops. Egg wash and bake at 350 degrees until they are golden brown.
Recipe from Flo Bisson, Concord, Vermont
Deviled Eggs
This is one of our family’s favorite Thanksgiving appetizers – I make them every year!
2 dozen eggs
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon dry mustard
salt and pepper to taste
paprika
capers, diced ham, carrot curls or other decorations for the eggs
1. Bring large pot of water to a boil. Carefully put the eggs in the pot and after one minute, stir slowly in one direction, then slowly in the other direction for a minute or two. This will help keep the yolks in the center of the eggs. Cook eggs for 5 minutes, then let sit in the water another 5 minutes off the heat.
2. Make a large bowl of ice water. Using a slotted spoon, take out each egg and carefully immerse it in the ice water. After a few minutes of cooling, the eggs will peel easily and cleanly. Peel the eggs and half them neatly.
3. Remove the yolks carefully with a spoon and put in a bowl. Add the mayonnaise and dry mustard. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Spoon a generous teaspoonful of the yolk mixture into each egg half, rounding the mixture a bit.
5. Arrange on your platter. Sprinkle paprika on the eggs. I decorate every other egg with a few capers on top, and decorate other eggs with diced ham or carrot curl flowers. Chopped parsley is good, too. Use your imagination and enjoy!
Makes 48 deviled eggs, minus the one or two that might break while they’re boiling.
Recipe from Janis Raye, St. Johnsbury
Triple-Cranberry Compote
1 cup cranberry juice cocktail
1/3 cup sugar
1 12-ounce package fresh or frozen cranberries, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup dried cranberries (about 2 ounces)
3 tablespoons orange marmalade
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice (about 1/2 orange squeezed)
2 teaspoons minced orange peel (about one whole orange)
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1. Combine cranberry juice and sugar in saucepan. Bring to boil over high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves.
2. Add fresh (or frozen) and dried cranberries and cook about 7 minutes – dried cranberries will soften and fresh cranberries will pop. Stir often.
3. Remove from heat and stir in orange marmalade, orange juice, orange peel, and allspice. Cool completely. Cover and chill until cold, about 2 hours. This can be made up to 3 days ahead, but keep refrigerated.
Makes about 2-1/2 cups. It is the best carnberry sauce for a Thanksgiving dinner you'll ever enjoy. Double it if you’re having a big crowd!