Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Chef Justin Timineri Shares Fresh From Florida Thanksgiving Recipes
~ Florida-Grown Fruits and Vegetables Are Great Additions to Your Holiday Menu ~
For Information, Contact:
Sterling Ivey
Communications Office
(850) 617-7737
Sterling.Ivey@freshfromflorida.com
November 21, 2011
Tallahassee, FL – In preparation for Thanksgiving, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Chef Justin Timineri shared four seasonal recipes for Floridians to incorporate into their holiday traditions. Each of these recipes is made with Fresh From Florida fruits and vegetables.
Recipes for Chef Timineri’s Florida Wildflower Honey Glazed Carrots, Colorful Squash and Tomato Gratin, Warm Cinnamon-Orange Cider and Florida Mushrooms Stuffed with Feta and Spinach are listed below.
For more information about the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, visit www.FreshFromFlorida.com.
###
Florida Wildflower Honey Glazed Carrots
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon butter
1 leek, white part only, halved, sliced small and washed
thoroughly
1 pound Florida carrots, sliced
1 cup Florida orange juice
¼ cup Florida wildflower honey
1 cinnamon stick
2 teaspoons chopped fresh Florida mint
Freshly squeezed lemon juice from 2 small lemons
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Preparation:
Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add leek and cook 2 minutes or until lightly browned. Reduce heat to medium. Add carrots and cook 2 minutes or until lightly browned. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 15 minutes or until carrots are soft. Discard cinnamon stick before serving.
Colorful Squash and Tomato Gratin
Ingredients:
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 shallots, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh Florida basil, or 1 teaspoon
dried
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
2 medium Florida yellow squash, thinly sliced
lengthwise
2 medium Florida zucchini, thinly sliced lengthwise
3 medium Florida tomatoes, thinly sliced lengthwise
2 tablespoons fresh grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup dry bread crumbs
Olive oil for drizzling
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 400°. Lightly oil an 8-inch square baking dish. Evenly spread the garlic, shallots and basil in the bottom of the prepared dish. Season with salt and pepper. Angle the yellow squash, zucchini and tomatoes in upright alternating layers (like shingles on a roof), repeating until all the vegetables are used in the casserole. Sprinkle the top with the cheese, then the bread crumbs. Drizzle lightly with olive oil.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. Let stand for 5 minutes before
serving.
Warm Cinnamon-Orange Cider
Ingredients:
32 ounces apple cider
2 cups Florida orange juice
2 whole cinnamon sticks
4 pieces whole allspice
2 tablespoons Florida honey
Preparation:
Heat apple cider, orange juice, cinnamon sticks and allspice to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 5 minutes. Remove allspice and cinnamon sticks. Stir in honey and serve warm.
Florida Mushrooms Stuffed with Feta and Spinach
Ingredients:
1 package (about 3/4 pound) Florida button mushrooms,
stemmed
4 ounces lean bacon slices
1/2 cup onion, diced
1/2 of a 10-ounce package chopped frozen spinach,
thawed (squeeze out as much water as possible)
2 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
2 ounces low fat cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 375°F. Cook bacon in heavy large skillet until crispy. Transfer bacon to paper towels to drain. After the bacon has completely cooled, crumble into small pieces. Save remaining bacon grease for later use.
Heat 2 teaspoons reserved bacon fat in heavy medium skillet over medium heat. Add chopped onion and cook until tender and translucent. Transfer to medium mixing bowl and cool. Combine bacon, spinach, feta, cream cheese, crushed red pepper, and mix well. Taste and adjust seasoning with kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
Line 2 large baking sheets with foil. Toss mushrooms with 3 table spoons of the reserved bacon grease in large bowl to coat. Season mushrooms with salt and pepper. Place mushrooms, rounded side down, in single layer on baking sheets. Bake mushrooms until tender, and cooked through (around 15 minutes). Remove mushrooms from oven, let cool slightly and let them drain in a colander. Once the mushrooms have cooled and drained, start stuffing them with the filling by spooning 1 heaping teaspoon of filling into each mushroom cavity.
Bake mushrooms until browned and bubbly, around 10 minutes. Serve mushrooms warm or cold.
###
-30-
