Della Bennett’s brie-stuffed acorn squash will warm you up on a winter’s day. Photo: Morgan Salyer
We usually present a dessert in The Last Bite, the department title of the last page of Knife & Fork magazine. But in our winter 2019/20 issue, we switched it up with an exclusive sweet/savory/hearty twist on classic baked acorn squash. Chef Della Bennett of Plenty, the fine home-cooking delivery service, recommends the creation as a cocktail-hour nosh or the centerpiece of a grazing buffet with charcuterie, fruits, and nuts. And she created the recipe just for you.
Acorn squash stuffed with brie and balsamic-roasted cranberries
Serves four
Ingredients
1 medium acorn squash
12 oz. brie
3 cups fresh cranberries (or frozen, thawed)
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
3 Tbsp. granulated sugar
1 tsp. fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves
1 tsp. orange zest
1 tsp. orange juice
Baguette or crackers for serving
Extra-virgin olive oil (or preferred oil)
Salt
Instructions
1) Preheat oven to 375
2) Halve acorn squash and remove seeds
3) Drizzle and coat squash with olive oil, and season with salt
4) Place squash cut side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet
5) Roast 45 to 60 minutes or until flesh is soft enough to smash with a fork; set aside
6) On same parchment-lined baking sheet, toss cranberries with balsamic, sugar, and herbs
7) Roast cranberry mixture in a single layer for 15 minutes; place cranberries and their juices in a mixing bowl
8) While cranberries cool, peel rind from brie and cut the cheese into cubes (it’s okay if a little of the rind is intact)
9) Place squash cut side up on a fresh parchment lined baking sheet, equally divide cheese cubes and place into squash cavities
10) Add orange zest and juice to cranberry mixture, toss, and place on top of brie
11) Bake for an additional 10 minutes or until brie melts
12) Remove from oven, let cool slightly, and transfer to serving dish
13) Garnish with fresh orange zest and herbs and serve warm with crackers or baguette
Della Bennett’s home-delivered fine cooking is available through her website, plentycville.com.
Ira Wallace of the Southern Exposure Seed Exchange gives the classic Cobb salad a Southern twist with black-eyed peas and toasted pecans. Photo: Staff
Summer is the time to eat your colors. Yellow corn is at its sweetest, red tomatoes their juiciest, and the greens are just as green as could be. We’ve rounded up salad recipes from five local chefs that showcase the season’s leading stars along with some unexpected guest appearances: a piquant pinch of mint or sweet burst of watermelon. As with any great summer salad, these are best served outside, on a generous plate, and with your favorite cold beverage. Mangia!
1) Southern-style Cobb salad with black-eyed peas
From Ira Wallace, education and variety selection coordinator, Southern Exposure Seed Exchange
A slight twist on the traditional Cobb salad, with toasted pecans and a Greek-yogurt blue-cheese dressing that you might want to slather on everything all summer.
Serves three to four
Ingredients
6 cups chopped romaine or mixed green lettuces
2 cups fresh black-eyed peas lightly simmered with 1/2 small onion, chopped, or 1 clove garlic, chopped
(Alternative: 1 15 oz. can seasoned black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed well)
3 hard-boiled eggs, quartered
1/2 cup toasted pecans, chopped
2 boneless chicken breasts, grilled and cubed (optional)
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese (substitute sharp, dry cheddar,
if desired)
1/2 cup fresh steamed sweet corn, kernels cut from cob, or thawed frozen sweet corn
1 sweet red pepper, cored, deseeded, and julienned
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and diced
Blue-cheese Greek-yogurt dressing
1/2 to 1 cup crumbled blue cheese
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
1 tbsp. mayonnaise
1 tbsp. minced fresh garlic
1 tbsp. white vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Add all dressing ingredients to large mixing bowl and whisk until smooth. Place in container, cover, and refrigerate until chilled.
Place lettuce on platter. In separate rows, arrange chicken, black-eyed peas, red pepper, tomatoes, pecans, avocado, cheese, corn, and eggs on top of lettuce. Pass around dressing.
Pair with: A nice glass of sweet tea
Peloton Station’s Curtis Shaver likes his beer—and knows how to turn a salad into a meal. Photo: Tom McGovern
2) Steak and onion rings salad
From Curtis Shaver, general manager and chef, Peloton Station
This savory mélange would satisfy even the hungriest salad-as-a-main-course skeptic.
Serves two to four
Salad ingredients
2 7 oz. Seven Hills Food Co. flat iron steaks (also called shoulder top blade steak)
6 oz. local arugula
2 ears fresh corn
1 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted,
and sliced
6 radishes, sliced thin
8 cherry tomatoes, halved
1 English cucumber, sliced thin
3 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
1 red onion, sliced into rings
1 cup buttermilk
2 cups flour, seasoned to taste (salt, pepper, paprika, and others as desired)
3 cups canola or other preferred oil for frying onion rings
Greek vinaigrette dressing ingredients
3 cups extra virgin olive oil
2 1/2 tbsp. garlic powder
2 1/2 tbsp. dried oregano
2 1/2 tbsp. dried basil
2 tbsp. black pepper
2 tbsp. sea salt
2 tbsp. onion powder
2 tbsp. dijon mustard
Instructions
Prepare grill. Oil, salt, and pepper steaks, and grill to medium rare. Set aside. Grill corn until charred and slice off kernels. Set aside. Heat frying oil to 375 degrees in deep skillet. Soak onion rings in buttermilk, remove from liquid, and toss in seasoned flour. Fry onions until golden brown, remove from oil, and drain.
Place all dressing ingredients except oil in blender and mix well. Slowly add oil to emulsify. Refrigerate until ready to serve salad.
In a large mixing bowl combine arugula, corn, radishes, cucumbers, tomatoes, feta, and dressing. Divide mixture evenly among serving plates. Place avocado slices on salad. Slice steak on a bias and place on top of avocados. Finish by topping with onion rings.
Pair with: Champion Brewing Company True Love American Lager
Peppery arugula meets sweet roasted tomatoes in Forage chef Megan Kiernan’s creation. Photo: Tom McGovern
3) Roasted Sungold tomato and arugula orzo salad with pistachio pesto and blue cheese
From Megan Kiernan, product development chef and founder, Forage
Chef Kiernan calls this “the regular pasta salad’s more elegant cousin.” We agree that the recipe would impress guests at any picnic or dinner party.
Serves four
Ingredients
2 pints Sungold cherry tomatoes
1 tsp. black pepper
2 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 lb. orzo
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
2 1/2 cups chopped arugula or
baby arugula
Salt and pepper to taste
Grilled or roasted chicken (optional), boned, and cut up any way you prefer
Pistachio pesto dressing
1/2 cup packed basil leaves
1 handful mint leaves
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup shelled pistachios
2 small cloves (or one large clove) garlic
1/2 cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil (or a bit more, to taste)
Salt to taste (at least 1/2 tsp.)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toss tomatoes with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Place on sheet tray and roast for 30 minutes. Reduce heat to 250 degrees and continue roasting for two hours, tossing occasionally.
Combine basil, mint, pistachios, garlic, lemon juice, and a big pinch of salt in a food processor. Blend well, periodically streaming in olive oil. Stop to taste. Add more salt and lemon juice as desired. If pesto is too thick, thin with additional olive oil.
Cook orzo following packaging instructions. Run under cool water while straining. Combine with pesto, adding heaping teaspoons to taste. Toss in arugula and red onions. Gently fold in tomatoes and blue cheese. Add more salt, pepper, or pesto as desired.
Pair with: Potter’s Craft Passion Fruit Mosaic cider
Unexpected bursts of flavor—fresh dill, fried sardines, hickory syrup—enliven this beauty from Oakhart Social’s Tristan Wraight. Photo: Tom McGovern
4) Sweet and salty summer salad
From Tristan Wraight, executive chef, Oakhart Social
“For me, I need a salad to have a sweet element, a salty element, and crunchy element,” says chef Tristan Wraight. Here, he rounds out the essentials with some soft herbs and an acidic dressing.
Serves four
Ingredients
2 cups watermelon, cubed (Wraight sources his from Pleasant Pasture Farms, in Virginia Beach.)
8 radishes, quartered (also from Pleasant Pasture)
1 cup Lunix (red oak-leaf) lettuce
1/4 cup shaved fennel
2 tbsp. sunflower seeds, sautéed until golden brown
1 tbsp. fried charales (or fried sardines) tossed in Old Bay Seasoning
Fresh Thai basil and dill to taste, chopped
Pinch of Maldon sea salt
Hickory-syrup vinaigrette
2 tbsp. shallots, minced
2 tbsp. fresh-squeezed lemon juice
2 tbsp. fresh-squeezed lime juice
2 tbsp. hickory syrup (can also use Grade-A maple syrup)
1 cup grape seed oil
1 tsp. kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
Soak minced shallots in lemon
and lime juice for 10 minutes. Add syrup and salt, and whisk in oil. Toss with salad ingredients in a large bowl.
Pair with: A dry white wine with mineral palate, like Albariño. Best local choice: Horton Vineyards 2017 Rkatsiteli
Pearl Island Catering chef Javier Figueroa-Ray balances the sweetness of watermelon and pineapple with the earthy flavors of kale and walnuts. Photo: Amy and Jackson Smith
5) Pearl Island summer salad
From Javier Figueroa-Ray, executive chef, Pearl Island Catering
Don’t forget the fruit! Pearl Island’s summer salad sweetens things up with tropical pineapple and the emblematic food of the season: fresh watermelon.
Serves four
Ingredients
8 oz. organic kale
8 oz. organic baby spinach
1 1/2 cups watermelon, cubed
1 1/2 cups fresh pineapple, cubed
1 cup carrots, grated (reserve some for garnish)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Shallot vinaigrette dressing
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp. dijon mustard
1 tbsp. fresh shallots, minced
1 cup brown sugar (or less, to taste)
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
Instructions
Place walnuts on baking sheet, sprinkle with salt, and roast at 350 degrees for five to ten minutes, or until fragrant.
In a large bowl combine kale, spinach, watermelon, pineapple, and carrots, and toss together.
Place dressing ingredients in blender and mix well, about one minute at high speed.
Transfer salad ingredients to platter, drizzle with dressing, and top with walnuts and carrots.
Red Truck Bakery’s namesake, a 1954 Ford F100 pickup, idles outside the Warrenton shop, a renovated 1921 Esso service station. Photo: Brian Noyes
Serendipity has been a good friend to Brian Noyes, owner of the acclaimed Red Truck Bakery. With locations in Marshall and Warrenton, Virginia, 45 employees, and orders pouring in online, Noyes’ business is better than ever and his homespun image endures, in spite of his enormous success.
He tells the story of that success, and describes his impossible good luck, in the Red Truck Bakery Cookbook: Gold-Standard Recipes from America’s Favorite Rural Bakery, first published in October 2018 and already in its second printing. Noyes is so fortunate, and he drops so many names—including Tommy Hilfiger, who sold him the signature red truck, and John Wayne, who once made him a tuna sandwich—that you kind of want to hate the guy.
But save your hate for someone who deserves it, because Noyes is a sweetheart, a California boy who became a Virginia country gentleman with a taste for the local moonshine that he also uses insome of his recipes. That part of his personality comes through in his storytelling, which is endearing and full of meaning. He frames his recipes with stories of the people, places, and flavors that influenced him, so the book is both autobiographical and instructional.
About that tuna sandwich: Noyes was 19 and working as the art director of a weekly newspaper in California when he stopped by Wayne’s house to return photos that the paper had borrowed for a story. The door opened, and there stood The Duke, who invited Noyes in for lunch. He watched as the actor methodically made the tuna salad—mayo, a pinch of salt, chopped pickles and celery, more mayo—and began building the sandwiches. “Before adding the top slice of toast,” Noyes writes, “he looked right at me, and smashed a fistful of potato chips into the tuna filling, commanding in his drawl, ‘This is why you’ll like this.’”
Noyes still makes tuna sandwiches the same way. More importantly, he writes, “John Wayne’s lesson sticks with me 40 years later: there are no rules.”
Serendipitous? Yes. But the lesson also underpins Noyes’ cooking philosophy: putting a twist on classics and making them his own. For example, instead of the tried-and-true Virginia ham biscuit, he creates ham scones, and his version of skillet cornbread is slathered with pimento cheese frosting.
Before Noyes launched Red Truck Bakery, in 2007, he worked for 30 years as an art director at various magazines, landing finally at The Washington Post. He used his vacation time to attend cooking schools, and to take food-focused road trips all over the South—with his architect husband Dwight McNeill by his side and a beat-up copy of Jan and Michael Stern’s Roadfood in the glovebox. On weekends at home, Noyes cooked and baked. One day in 1997, while he was preparing peach jam for his first-ever entry in the Arlington County Fair, a friend stopped by with some crystallized ginger. A spur-of-the-moment decision to chop some up and throw it into the pot—along with cinnamon, nutmeg, and sugar—resulted in a spicy-sweet jam that won Noyes four awards, including first prize, and the title of grand champion.
Brian Noyes. Photo: Dwight McNeill
Noyes went on to start a small-batch bakery out of the kitchen of his country home, in Orlean, Virginia. He delivered breads, pies, and granola to three small, rural stores in the now-famous red truck (which he bought online, later learning that Hilfiger was the seller), and launched a website to sell his goods.
Some of those goods—fruit pies, quiche, and granola—were served at a 2007 picnic in Rappahannock County attended by The New York Times food writer Marian Burros. Red Truck Bakery ended up leading Burros’ Christmas roundup of her 15 favorite national food purveyors. The day after the story appeared, Noyes’ website traffic skyrocketed from two dozen hits to 57,000 in a single day.
After tasting success, Noyes wanted to establish a bricks-and-mortar location, which he did after a long search with McNeill. The couple redesigned and renovated a 1921 former Esso service station, in Warrenton, opening the bakery on July 31, 2009.
With the nation in the throes of the Great Recession, the timing sucked. But Noyes and his husband and team persevered. After the economy picked up, Noyes sent a thank-you note to then-president Barack Obama in 2016. Obama dispatched a staffer to hand-deliver a note to Noyes, who handed Obama’s man a sweet-potato pecan pie—Noyes’ mash-up of two classics.
On Pi Day, March 14, 2016, Obama posted a lengthy shout-out on Facebook and the White House website, commending Noyes on both his perseverance and his pie. “I like pie. That’s not a state secret…I can confirm that the Red Truck Bakery makes some darn good pie,” Obama wrote.
So, you see, it’s not just about luck. It’s also about perseverance, relentlessly pursuing a dream, and baking goodness into everything you do.
Meet the author
As part of the Virginia Festival of the Book, Brian Noyes will appear at Williams Sonoma at The Shops at Stonefield, from 11am-12:30pm on March 21, for a baking demonstration, discussion, food samples, and a book signing.
Recipe
Strawberry rhubarb pie
From the Red Truck Bakery Cookbook, by Brian Noyes
First published in October 2018, Red Truck Bakery Cookbook is now in its second printing.
“My dad was a dessert purist who loved straight-up rhubarb pie, but it was always too one-note and tart for my liking,” Noyes writes. “To sweeten it and incorporate a lightly floral component, I added strawberries brightened with lemon zest, cinnamon, and ginger. They’re the perfect counterpoint. Dad would probably frown upon my version of the pie, but our customers like it this way. Everyone loves seeing it appear on our shelves, if only because each year it marks the first fresh-fruit (or fresh-vegetable, in the case of rhubarb) pie after a long winter.”
Makes one 10-inch pie
Ingredients
3 or 4 stalks fresh rhubarb, sliced on an angle into ¼-inch-wide pieces (2½ cups)
4 cups fresh strawberries (about 2 pints), hulled, halved if large
1¼ cups sugar
½ cup cornstarch
¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
¹⁄8 tsp. ground or freshly grated nutmeg
¹⁄8 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. lemon zest
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1 recipe Classic Piecrust dough, or
2 store-bought crusts
2 tbsp. unsalted butter, chilled and cubed
1 large egg, whisked with 1 tablespoon water
Vanilla ice cream, for serving (optional)
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place a raised wire rack inside a rimmed baking sheet.
2. In a large bowl, combine the rhubarb and the strawberries.
3. In a medium bowl, mix together the sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and lemon zest. Add the sugar mixture to the rhubarb and strawberries and toss to combine. Stir in the lemon juice. Let sit for a few minutes to allow the fruit to release juices.
4. Roll out one disc of pie dough into a 13-inch round and fit it into a 10-inch pie pan, leaving the crust overhanging. Pour the strawberry-rhubarb mixture into the crust and dot the top of the fruit with butter.
5. Roll out the second disc of dough into a roughly 18-by-13-inch rectangle. Cut it crosswise into six 3-by-13-inch strips.
6. Create a lattice crust by laying three strips of dough across the pie horizontally, then laying three strips of dough perpendicularly across them. Weave the top strips of dough over and under those on the bottom. Trim the dough about 2 inches from the pan, and roll and crimp the edges, combining the lattice crust with the dough in the pan. Brush the dough with egg wash.
7. Carefully place the pie on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 90 minutes, turning after each 30 minutes or until the center is bubbling. Let cool on a raised wire rack.
