Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Coat a large glass baking dish with cooking spray.

Stir grapes, oil, salt, thyme and pepper in a medium bowl. Spread out in one layer in the baking dish. Roast, stirring occasionally until wrinkled and caramelized, 48 to 55 minutes.

Remove from the oven. Drizzle balsamic vinegar over the grapes, and stir to coat. Set aside.

Spread goat cheese on the baguette, dividing equally. Top with the grape mixture. Sprinkle with walnuts and drizzle with honey.

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a baking pan with cooking spray and set aside. In a skillet over medium-high heat, brown beef and onion then stir in the vegetables, thyme, Guinness, Worcestershire sauce and seasonings then bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 7-8 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Roll out pastry dough and cut out 16 – 5 inch rounds and 16 – 5.5 inch rounds. Spoon filling onto 5 inch rounds, brushing milk around the edges and cover with the 5.5 inch rounds and press with a fork to seal. Bake 12-15 minutes and serve warm.

Preheat your oven to 500 degrees F. In a small bowl combine the olive oil, sea salt and paprika. Peel and cut the sweet potatoes into 1 inch thick rounds. Take each sweet potato round and coat it in the olive oil mixture all over. Place them on a large baking tray without touching each other.

Bake the sweet potato rounds for 8 to 10 minutes on each side until golden. Transfer to a serving tray and top with the goat cheese, candied walnuts, and cranberries. Spoon a little bit of wild honey on top of each potato round and sprinkle with the lemon zest. Just before serving finish with a light drizzle of orange infused olive oil, the balsamic glaze and garnish with the fresh basil leaves.

Preheat an oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment. In a large nonstick fry pan over medium heat, cook the bacon in batches until the slices are just beginning to brown along the edges but are still very underdone and pliable, 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and let cool, then cut each slice in half crosswise. In a small bowl, whisk together the butter, salt and garlic powder.

Divide the green beans into 16 equal portions, about 6 beans each. Gather each portion into a neat bunch and wrap a half slice of bacon around the center to hold the beans together. Place the bundles on the prepared baking sheet with the loose ends of the bacon underneath. Sprinkle the brown sugar evenly over the bundles and drizzle with the butter mixture. Roast until the bacon is cooked through and browned, 20 to 25 minutes. Let stand for 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer the green bean bundles to a warmed platter and serve immediately. Serves 8 to 10.

Heat the oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly flour two small 6 inch skillets. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, salt, pepper and rosemary. Add the egg to the buttermilk and beat until mixed.
Add the grated sharp cheddar to the flour mixture and lightly mix through. Pour the buttermilk into the bowl and mix together using your fingers until it comes together. Dump the dough out onto a flour dusted work surface and knead the dough into an ball shape.

Roughly half the dough into two pieces. Shape each half into a ball again and place each seam side down in a skillet. Take a sharp serrated knife and cut an X on top of each soda bread. Season the top with some more salt and pepper and bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes until the top is golden brown. Let cool for 20 minutes before slicing and serving with butter.

Beer Battered Leeks
Heat a large pot over medium heat and add the olive oil and butter. Stir in the onion, garlic, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until the onions are soft and even begin to caramelize slightly, about 10 to 15 minutes. Add in the potatoes, stock and ale. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce it to medium-low and let it simmer until the potatoes are fork tender, about 20 minutes. Turn off the heat.

Carefully pour the contents in a high-powered blender (if needed, you can do it in two batches). Blend until smooth. Pour the soup back into the pot and heat it over low heat, stirring well. Stir in the grated cheese, one handful at a time, until it completely melts. Make sure you add the cheese SLOWLY over low heat, so it melts right into the soup. Taste and season additionally if desired – you may want a little more salt and pepper depending on the saltiness of your cheese!

To serve the soup, drizzle 1 tablespoon of cream over top. Top with a handful of the beer battered leeks, a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes, some fresh herbs and pepper. Serve immediately.

Beer Battered Leeks
Cover a large plate with a paper towel or two. Heat about 2 to 3 inches of oil over medium heat in a heavy bottomed saucepan. You want the oil to be about 350 degrees F. In this instance, I don’t always use a candy thermometer—I test it with one of the leeks! Just don’t let the oil burn.

Whisk together 1 cup of flour, salt, pepper, garlic powder and paprika. Whisk in the beer until the batter is smooth. Place the other cup of flour in a plate. Add the leeks to the beer batter in batches, covering them. Remove them from the bowl and place them in the flour on the plate, tossing to coat. Add to the oil and fry until the batter is golden brown and flakey. Remove the leeks with a slotted spoon and place them on a paper towel to drain and excess grease.

Melt the butter in a large pot over a medium-high heat. Add the onion and fry for 3–4 minutes until softened. Add the pancetta and continue to fry until it colours, then stir in the thyme leaves, bay leaf and potatoes and cook gently for 2–3 minutes before adding the fish stock. Season well with sea salt and ground black pepper.

Simmer for 10–15 minutes until the potatoes are tender yet firm. Add the cod, salmon, smoked haddock and mussels and simmer gently for 5 minutes. Discard any mussels which haven’t opened whilst cooking.

Remove the pot from the heat and gently stir through the parsley and cream. Try not to stir too vigorously as the fish chunks will break up.

Serve in warmed deep bowls with the strips of smoked salmon as a garnish on top.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and set a large pot of water on the stove and bring to a boil. Cut the root end off of the garlic {just enough to remove the woody bottom and expose the bottoms of the cloves}. Set out a square of foil, drizzle in a teaspoon of olive oil, and a pinch of sea salt. Set head of garlic in the oil and wrap the foil around it. Set foil packet in a small oven-proof dish, and slide into the oven. Bake for 15 minutes and then set aside to cool. Once you remove garlic, turn oven up to 425 degrees.

Peel the carrots. Blanch the carrots in boiling water for 2 minutes, then set aside to cool. Add the beets to the same water used for the carrots. Boil beets for 8 – 10 minutes, remove with a slotted spoon, and run under cold water. At this point, the skins should readily peel off; use your fingers or a peeler for tougher skins.

Halve carrots and cut beets into quarters or sixths, depending on size. Arrange each on a separate baking sheet {to preserve color}, drizzle each with 1 – 2 teaspoons olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Slide into the oven and roast for 15 – 20 minutes, flipping vegetables halfway through. Arrange the chard and beet greens on another rimmed baking sheet.

Drizzle with just a touch of oil, rub it all over the leaves and sprinkle with a tiny pinch of sea salt. Slide into the oven and bake for 4 – 6 minutes, or just until leaves have softened. Keep a close eye on these, you just want them to soften and brown slightly.

Meanwhile, make the dressing. First, squeeze the roasted {and cooled} garlic out of the papery skin. Set in a small bowl, and mash with a fork. Mix in lemon juice and a pinch of sea salt. Next, whisk in the olive oil until mixture is emulsified.

Finally, to toast the pepitas, heat a small skillet over medium heat. Add a drizzle of olive oil and the pepitas. Cook, stirring constantly, just until the pepitas start to pop, 1 – 2 minutes. Remove from heat, toss with a little sea salt, and set aside to cool.

To serve, toss carrots and beets with the prepared dressing. On a large platter, layer roasted chard on the bottom, topped with carrots and beets, and finish with a drizzle more of dressing, toasted pepitas, a sprinkle of sea salt, and a few twists of black pepper.

Wash and quarter the red potatoes. Smack the garlic cloves with the side of a kitchen knife to open and place in a large stockpot or Dutch oven with the potatoes and cover with water. Add kosher salt and bring to a boil over high heat, cook until fork tender. Drain and set aside.

Return pan to medium-high heat, cook and render the bacon until crisp. Set aside to cool slightly and chop. Keep bacon fat in pan, add the cabbage and kale and cook until wilted, about 5 minutes.

Add the potatoes back to the pan. Add the milk, cream, and black pepper, and bring to a boil. Using a potato masher, mash and stir potatoes until smooth and thoroughly incorporated with cabbage and kale. Add the bacon crumbles and season with kosher salt if needed. Transfer to a bowl, top with chopped chives and serve hot with butter on top.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Preheat oven to 400 F. Preheat oven to 400 F. Lightly grease the foil-lined baking sheet with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Make sure Brussels sprouts have trimmed ends and yellow leaves are removed. Then, slice all Brussels sprouts in half. In a medium bowl, combine halved Brussels sprouts, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, salt (to taste), and toss to combine. Place onto a foil-lined baking sheet, cut side down, and roast in the oven at 400 F for about 20-25 minutes. During the last 5-10 minutes of roasting, turn them over for even browning, the cut sides should be nicely and partially charred but not blackened (see my photos).

Roasted butternut squash
Preheat oven to 400 F. Lightly grease the foil-lined baking sheet with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.

In a medium bowl, combine cubed butternut squash (peeled and seeded),1 tablespoon of olive oil, maple syrup, and cinnamon, and toss to mix. Place butternut squash in a single layer on the baking sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes, turning once half-way through baking, until softened.
Note: You can roast both Brussels sprouts and butternut squash on 2 separate baking sheets at the same time, on the same rack in the oven.

Assembly:
In a large bowl, combine roasted Brussels sprouts, roasted butternut squash, pecans, and cranberries, and mix to combine. OPTIONAL: For more sweetness, add 2 or 4 tablespoons of maple syrup, if desired—do not add all maple syrup at once, start with 2 tablespoons, then add more, if desired, and toss with the salad ingredients to combine.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Cook pasta al dente, according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

Cook potatoes in pot of boiling water until fork tender. Allow to cool completely. Peel with pairing knife and shred with box grater. Set aside.

Heat large pot over medium-high heat. Add bacon and cook until crispy and browned. Remove with slotted spoon and transfer to plate lined with paper towels. Remove all but 1 tablespoon of bacon grease from pot. Stir in onions and garlic and sauté for about 5 minutes, until soft and translucent. Add cabbage and leeks. Season with 3/4 teaspoon salt, 3/4 teaspoon black pepper and red pepper flakes. Stir and continue cooking about 5 minutes more until mixture is soft. Fold in shredded potatoes and remove from heat. Transfer to large bowl and set aside.

Place milk in medium saucepot and bring to barely a simmer, over medium heat. Return large pot to stove and place over medium-high heat. Add butter and melt. Whisk in flour and cook about 10 seconds. Carefully add warm milk, while whisking continuously until all of milk has been added and butter/flour mixture has completely dissolved. Lower heat to medium and cook until thickened. Season with 3/4 teaspoon salt, 3/4 teaspoon black pepper and paprika. Once thick, remove from heat.

In medium bowl, toss together Monterey jack, cheddar and Havarti. Add cheeses to hot thickened milk, reserving about 1/2 cup for topping. Stir with wooden spoon, until cheese has melted. Fold in pasta, cabbage mixture, bacon and scallions. Pour mixture into 9x13-inch baking dish or into individual 8-ounce ramekins. Top with breadcrumbs and reserved cheese. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, until bubbly. Place under broiler a few seconds to brown and crisp the top. Serve warm and garnish with sliced scallions on top.

Farro
In a medium saucepan, combine the rinsed farro with at least three cups water (enough water to cover the farro by a couple of inches). Bring the water to a boil, then reduce heat to a gentle simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the farro is tender to the bite but still pleasantly chewy (pearled farro will take around 15 minutes; unprocessed farro will take 25 to 40 minutes). Drain off the excess water and return the farro to the pot. Add 1 teaspoon olive oil, the lemon juice, garlic and ½ teaspoon salt. Mix well, then add the chickpeas and stir to combine. Set aside, covered, until you’re ready to assemble.

Carrots
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and add the carrots. Drizzle them with 1 tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle with cumin, salt and pepper. Use your fingers to make sure the carrots are lightly and evenly coated in oil and spices. Roast for 20 to 35 minutes, until the carrots are easily pierced by a fork near the top of their stems. Roasting time will depend entirely on the size of your carrots.

I removed some of the more slender carrots at 20 minutes and checked them at 5 minute intervals thereafter, removing the carrots as they were done.

Pepitas
In a small skillet over medium heat, warm ½ teaspoon olive oil until shimmering. Add the pepitas and generous pinches of cumin, chili powder and salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until the pepitas are turning golden on the edges and starting to make little popping noises. Remove from heat to cool.

Crème Fraîche
Combine the crème fraîche, 1 tablespoon chopped parsley, water, and a few dashes of salt and pepper in a small bowl. Stir to combine and set aside.

Assemble
Pour the farro and chickpea mixture onto a large serving platter. Arrange the carrots in a single layer over the mixture. Drizzle herbed crème fraîche generously over the carrots, then sprinkle them with pepitas and one tablespoon chopped fresh parsley. Serve immediately or let the dish cool to room temperature (it’s good either way!).

In a medium saucepan, heat olive oil over medium high heat and add minced shallots. Cook for 2-4 minutes until soft. Add sugar, pomegranate juice, and cranberries.

Bring the mixture to a boil, add a pinch of salt and pepper, then reduce heat to low. Occasionally stir and let simmer for 10 minutes, until thickened. Remove from the heat and stir in pomegranate seeds. Let cool before adding chopped mint, and serve.

Goose
Preheat the oven to 110 C/gas mark 1⁄4 (225 F). Prick the goose skin all over with a needle. Sprinkle salt over the skin and rub it in. Place the goose, skin-side down, in a large frying pan or roasting tray and start to render the fat by cooking over a low to medium heat. The goose will start to cook in its own fat, but if the heat is too high this won’t happen and the skin will burn. You’re looking for an even golden colour all over, so do move the bird around the pan to achieve this.

Place the browned crown on a rack in a roasting tin and transfer to the oven. Roast for up to 2 hours before probing with the thermometer. How long the goose will take to cook depends on the performance of each individual oven, the weight of your bird and what temperature the crown is when it goes into the oven – a digital temperature probe is essential for this method. Probe the breast at its fattest point, stopping when you think you’ve reached the middle spot between the bone and the skin.

If you estimate the breast is 1 1/2 inches at its fattest aim to take the reading from a depth of 1 inch. If the probe reads 55–56 C (130-133 F), it’s ready. At this point remove the bird from the oven, cover and allow to rest for at least 15 minutes before carving. Serve with stuffing, Brussels sprouts and proper roast potatoes.

Goose Stuffing
Parboil the potatoes for 10 minutes, then drain. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large pan and sauté the onions until transparent, not browned. Chop some of the sage leaves and add to the pan (keep the rest of bunch because it will go into the cavity). Season the goose cavity.

Chop the potatoes, which should still be firm, until semimashed, and mix in the onions and chopped sage. Season well. Push the remainder of the bunch of sage and the thyme to the back of the goose cavity. Put in the potato stuffing, leaving a good amount of air space at the top of the cavity, which acts like an oven, while the stuffing is a sort of sponge for the goose juices and some of its lovely fat too.

Combine the cubed chuck steak with the ale, thyme, garlic, peppercorns and shallots in a bowl. Leave to marinate for at least 3 hours, or overnight.

After marinating the beef, drain and reserve the liquid. Pat the beef dry, dredge it in seasoned flour and then fry in small batches until brown. Set aside. Stir the Vegemite through the reserved marinade, and then add this to a casserole dish with the seared chuck steak. Cook gently over a low heat, or in low oven (150 degrees) for approximately 3 hours.

You will know when the meat is cooked, because it should be very tender. Season to taste with celery salt, and allow the mixture to cool, ideally to room temperature.

Grease a pie dish with butter. Roll out the puff pastry, and cut two discs – one large enough to line the dish and another to form the lid. Fill the pastry-lined pie dish with the beef mixture, then brush the edges with the egg yolk. Crumble the cheese over the top of the pie filling. Place the pastry lid over the pie dish, and seal with firm crimps (or the back of a fork to adhere the two pieces of pastry).

Brush the lid with the remaining egg yolk and place into an oven preheated to 180 degrees. Cook for between 45 – 60 minutes.Serve with your favorite greens or mashed potato.

Rub the turkey inside and out with the kosher salt. Place the bird in a large stock pot, and cover with cold water. Place in the refrigerator, and allow the turkey to soak in the salt and water mixture 12 hours, or overnight. If you have not room in refrigerator, use a cooler. Place brine mixture and turkey in a zip-lock bag. Squeeze air out and tie. Place a few bags of ice in cooler to keep turkey cold.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Thoroughly rinse the turkey good, and discard the brine mixture.Brush the turkey with 1/2 the melted butter. Place breast side down on a roasting rack in a shallow roasting pan.

Boil vegetables before stuffing them in the turkey. This will ensure the vegetables are done.

Stuff the turkey cavity with 1 onion, 1/2 the carrots, 1/2 the celery, 1 sprig of thyme, and the bay leaf (rosemary and sage optional). Scatter the remaining vegetables and thyme around the bottom of the roasting pan, and cover with the white wine. Apples can also be placed inside and around.

Roast uncovered 3 1/2 to 4 hours in the preheated oven, until the internal temperature of the thigh reaches 180 degrees F (85 degrees C). Carefully turn the turkey breast side up about 2/3 through the roasting time, and brush with the remaining butter. Foil should not have to be used when flipping a bird, but it can be if wanted. Allow the bird to stand about 30 minutes before carving.

Pastry
Sift together the dry ingredients into a bowl. Cube butter. (I recommend setting the dry ingredients and the cubed butter into the freezer while you prep everything else.)

Next, add butter on top of dry mixture and work the butter into the flour by using your fingers or a pastry blender, so the dough forms pea-sized crumbs. Add the cider vinegar and the ice water to the center of your mixture. Working from the sides, gather the dough to center so it forms a ball. Transfer the dough to a piece of plastic wrap, shape and flatten it slightly into a disc, wrap tightly, and refrigerate for at least an hour.

Get out a rolling pin and lay out a piece of parchment paper or plastic wrap. Sprinkle it with flour, lay the dough disc on top, and sprinkle it with flour very lightly. Place plastic or parchment on top of the dough, if desired, and roll it into a rectangle. Now, fold the dough like a letter, putting the left side in and then the right on top of it. Wrap again and chill for 15 minutes.

Roll the dough out again into a rectangle, rotate clockwise, and fold like a letter again. (You are creating layers.) Do this whole process twice more (it will be four times total), then roll into a rectangle again. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate again for at least an hour and up to three days, or freeze the dough for a few weeks and thaw in fridge for a day.

When you’re ready to bake, remove the dough and roll it out between parchment, flouring if needed, making a rustic rectangular circle (I don’t obsess!). Roll gently, with strokes from the center, so that your rectangle is about 12 inches long or 1/8-inch thick. Carefully transfer the rolled pastry to a baking sheet and place it in the fridge to chill.

Filling
In a bowl, mix the cornstarch, lemon juice, zest, sugar, and vanilla, then toss the fruit in, mixing gently to coat. Let it sit for a few minutes. Take the sheet pan from the fridge and using a slotted spoon, mound the berries into the center of the dough, leaving a 2-inch border. Leave the juices in the bowl. Fold up the edges of the pastry and place the pie pan in the freezer. Pour the juices into a saucepan and heat for a few minutes, just so that they reduce and are slightly thick.

Bake The Galette
Heat the oven to 400° F. Remove the pastry from the freezer, and spoon the thickened juice over the top of the berries, then paint an egg wash over the sides of it and sprinkle the sugar on top. Bake, rotating the sheet pan halfway through, for 45 to 60 minutes, until the pastry is golden and the fruit juices are bubbling. Allow to cool on a wire rack for at least 20 minutes before slicing.

*Note: You can also divide the rectangle of dough in half before rolling it out, and split the filling in

Bread Pudding
In a large bowl, combine heavy cream, sugar, vanilla extract, evaporated milk, eggs, and 2/3 cup caramel whiskey sauce in a large bowl. Stir well with a whisk.

Add bread cubes, using a spatula to push down and make sure each piece of bread is coated. Cover and allow to sit in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to soak up all the goodness.

Preheat oven to 350°F. If using a casserole dish, spray a 13 x 9-inch baking dish with nonstick spray, or spray each ramekin with nonstick spray (approximately 6 ramekins).

Pour bread mixture into prepared casserole dish, or divide between the prepared ramekins.

Sprinkle top with cinnamon and sugar mixture and raisins or chocolate chips. Bake in preheated oven for 35 minutes or until set. Serve warm with more caramel-whiskey sauce.

Whiskey-Caramel Sauce
Combine sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir until the sugar completely dissolves. Stop stirring and allow to simmer until mixture is golden (about 17 minutes). DO NOT STIR! Remove from heat.

Carefully add butter and cream cheese, whisking constantly until all clumps are dissolved. CAUTION! Mixture will be very hot and can bubble up during this time. Stir in whiskey and milk. Mixture will bubble a bit at this step as well. Set aside.

Custard
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Place a damp paper towel on the bottom of a baking dish and set 6, 4-ounce ramekins or jars on top of the towel in the baking dish. In a large measuring cup, combine the milk, cream, Baileys Pumpkin Spice, and espresso powder. Whisk to dissolve the powder and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks, egg, sugar, and salt for about 1 minute, until the eggs gain some volume and the sugar dissolves. Make the custard by whisking in the espresso and Baileys cream to combine. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve into the same measuring cup used to mix the espresso and Baileys cream. Divide the custard mixture between the ramekins or jars.

Place the baking dish with the custard filled ramekins on the center rack of the preheated oven. Pour boiling water into the bottom of the baking dish, until it reaches about halfway up the ramekins or jars. Bake the custards for 1 hour, until the edges are just set and the centers are still wobbly. Remove from the oven and cool on a rack before covering and chilling in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, to overnight. Serve with whipped cream and Sweet & Spicy Pecans.

Sweet & Spicy Pecans
In a saucepan, combine the sugar, water, cayenne, cinnamon, and salt, stir to combine. Add the pecans and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until most of the water evaporates and a sticky, glossy syrup covers the pecans. Scrape the coated pecans onto a parchment lined baking sheet and separate the pecans gently. Allow to cool before eating.