AUTUMN HASH

½ butternut squash, peeled, diced
2 lg sweet potatoes, peeled, diced
3 T olive oil
Salt &  Pepper
4 sliced thick cut bacon, diced
2 med sweet onions, chopped
1 Granny Smith apple, diced
10 sage leaves, thinly sliced
1 cup apple cider

In a microwave safe bowl, toss squash & potatoes with 2 T of olive oil, salt and pepper. Microwave 12-15 minutes until tender.

Meanwhile, in a deep skillet, heat the remaining 1 T of olive oil. Add bacon, cook over med-high heat until browning, about 5 minutes.  Add the onions, cook, until golden, about 8-10 minutes. Stir in diced apple and cook until it starts to soften, about 2 minutes.  Gently stir in the squash, sweet potatoes and sage, then pour in the cider. Simmer over med high heat until the cider has almost evaporated, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter.

Chattanooga Endeavors presents it’s 3rd annual Kick’n Chick’n hot wings cook-off at Market this Sunday.  For a $7.50 ticket, you can sample one hot wing from 7 of our best hot wing restaurateur’s in Chattanooga.  Will last year’s winner Shaun Winklepleck be able to defend his title?  You’ll help decide when you vote for this year’s best hot wings in the People’s Choice Award.  We’ll also be bringing in a panel of judges who’ll give their thumbs up in the Critic’s Choice Award.  Here’s who’s cookin’ this year:  Porters, PF Changs, Hair of the Dog, Buffalo Wild Wings, Taco Mac, Caffeine, Magoo’s and Wink’s BBQ.

This year is bigger than ever!  We’ll start selling tickets right when Market opens at noon.  There’s a limit to how many wings even these guys can cook – some come early and hungry.  The final voting for both awards will take place around 4:30 and each of the two winners will receive a commemorative etched glass trophy.

Of course, this event is completely organized and benefitting Chattanooga Endeavors.  This non-profit organization’s mission is to restore former offenders to productive roles in society through training, counseling and education programs that remove the barriers to meaningful employment and that teach skills for today’s workforce.  For more information please see www.chattanoogaendeavors.com

Seared Lamb Steak with Orzo Pasta Salad and Heirloom Tomatoes
by Chef James Wade, Porter’s Steakhouse

Seared Lamb Steak

1 lamb leg steak (approximately 6 ounces)
Salt, Pepper
Extra Virgin olive oil

Season lamb with salt and pepper.
Heat oil in cast iron skillet until very hot – until the oil just begins to smoke.
Carefully place the lamb into the skillet and cook to the desired doneness; for medium rare, about 2 minutes on each side.
Remove the lamb from the skillet and let it cool about 4 or 5 minutes.
After the lamb has cooled, slice into strips.

Orzo Pasta Salad

1/2 pound cooked orzo (prepare according to package directions)
3 bell peppers of varying colors ( red, purple and yellow work well)
One cucumber peeled, seeded and diced into 1/4 inch cubes
10 to 12 leaves of purple basil rough chopped
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt, Pepper
Toss all ingredients together in large bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Tomatoes

1 red Heirloom tomato, sliced thin
1 yellow Heirloom tomato, sliced thin
Salt and pepper to taste

Presentation:

Spread the tomato slices on a plate in a circular pattern. Alternating colors look nice but red on one side and yellow on the other looks good, too.
Place about 1/4 cup of the orzo salad onto the tomato slices.
Arrange 4 or 5 of the lamb slices in a star pattern on top of the orzo salad.
Garnish with a purple basil leaf.

Blackberry Balsamic Vinegar Reduction
by Chef Anna Scott, Mia Cucina

1 cup water
½ pint fresh blackberries
3 tbsp honey (darker is better)
1 cup balsamic vinegar
Salt

In small saucepan, bring water and blackberries to a boil. Reduce heat slightly to a soft boil for 20 minutes.
Add balsamic vinegar and bring to a hard boil for about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to a slow boil and add honey. Continue slow boil until sauce is reduced by half or until sauce coats the back of a spoon.
Sprinkle with a small amount of salt.

Jerk Chicken Breasts

by Chef Anna Scott, Mia Cucina

4 double boneless chicken breasts
¼ cup Alchemy’s Jerk Seasoning
3 tbsp oil
1 cup lager beer

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat oil in large pan. Clean chicken, removing fat and separating breasts.
Coat chicken with jerk seasoning and cook in pan for 5-7 minutes. Turn chicken over and continue cooking until no liquid remains in the pan. Add beer and bake in oven for 20 minutes, uncovered.

Jeweled Rice
by Chef Anna Scott, Mia Cucina

Rice
1 shallot, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 golded beet
1 bell pepper, red or orange look best
1 ear of corn (removed from cob)
1 ½ cups fresh arugula
1 ½ tbsp beer
1 bunch of the following herbs:
savory
basil
chives
parsley
lemon thyme

Prepare 6 servings of rice according to package directions. Heat cast iron skillet on low (approximately 15 minutes) while slicing vegetables. Add shallot, garlic, bell pepper, beet and corn to skillet. Cook until beets are soft to the touch but not falling apart. Add beer and let sit until soaked in. Fold into rice and add herbs and arugula. Salt and pepper to taste.

Fried Green and Heirloom Tomato Salad with Balsamic Vinegar Reduction
by Chef Wolfgang Poe, The Red Rock Grille

1 cup all-purpose flour
3 eggs
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 large unripe tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch thick slices, ends removed
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 – 3 heirloom varieties of tomatoes, sliced like the green tomatoes.
Balsamic Vinegar reduced to a thick syrup

In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt and pepper to taste

Make an egg wash with whipped eggs and water

Dip the tomatoes in the egg wash and then dredge them in the flour mixture, coating both sides well.

Place a large cast iron skillet over medium heat and coat with the oil. When the oil is hot, pan-fry the tomatoes (in batches if necessary) until golden brown and crispy on both sides, about 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Carefully remove the tomatoes and drain on paper towels.

Layer the fried green tomatoes and heirloom tomatoes shingle style and drizzle with the balsamic vinegar.

[This recipe was featured in the Five Star Food Fight competition -- and is extremely tasty!]

Yuengling and Honey Braised Chicken
by Chef Wolfgang Poe, The Red Rock Grille

2 -4 Chicken breasts halves (boneless/skinless is ok, but I prefer skin on)
1 Stick butter
salt and pepper
1 bottle of Yuengling Lager Beer
½ pound of honey

Pat chicken dry and season with salt and pepper. Heat butter in a 10-inch cast iron skillet over moderately high heat until foam subsides, then brown chicken on both sides, about 4 minutes total. Transfer to a plate.

Add beer to skillet and deglaze by boiling over high heat, stirring and scraping up brown bits, until reduced by about 1/2. Re-add chicken breasts and juices from plate, pour honey over chicken, then gently simmer over low heat, covered, until chicken is just cooked through, about 8 minutes.