SAUSAGE, CRANBERRY, AND PECAN STUFFING

                                               makes about 12 Cups

8 cups (1/2")firm white bread

1&1/2 pound fresh pork sausage,  

crumbled

1/2 stick butter (1/4 cup)

2 onions, chopped

3 celery ribs, sliced 1/4" thick

1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and cut into 1/2" pieces

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1&1/2 cups chopped pecans (8oz.), toasted

1 cup dried cranberries

1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage

1 to 1&1/2 cup chicken (or turkey) broth

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Toast bread in oven in shallow baking pan until dry and pale golden, about 20 minutes.

Cook sausage in a large heavy skillet over moderately high heat, stirring and breaking up large limps, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes, then transfer to large bowl with a slotted spoon.

Add butter to fat remaining in skillet and cook onions, stirring, until softened, about 7 minutes. Add celery, apple, and garlic and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Transfer to bowl with sausage and stir in bread, pecans, cranberries, sage, and salt and pepper to taste.

Transfer stuffing to a buttered 3-4 quart shallow baking pan and drizzle with broth. (Use 1&1/2 cups for moist stuffing, 1 cup for drier.) Cover with foil and bake in middle of oven 30 minutes, then uncover and bake until bread is golden and stuffing is heated through, 20-25 minutes more.

COOKS' NOTE:

Stuffing can be assembled, but not baked, without the nuts, 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Toss in pecans and bring to room temperature before baking.

Zucchini-Ricotta Tart

Filling:

5 2/3 cups coarsely grated zucchini
1 1/4 teasp salt
4 Tablespoons butter, divided
4 teaspoon olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 small garlic clove, minced
2 teaspoon lemon juice
1 1/4 cups ricotta cheese
1/3 cup plus 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 large egg
2 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel (optional)
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Place Zucchini in colander over a large bowl. Sprinkle 3/4 teaspoon salt- toss to coat. let drain 30 minutes- squeeze in kitchen towel, in batches, to remove as much liquid as possible. Melt oil with 2 Tablespoon butter in haevy large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, saute til soft and translucent, about 7 minutes. Add garlic, saute about 30 seconds. Add zucchini and lemon juice, reduce heat, cook til zucchini is tender. Stir occasionally- about 12 minutes. Cool to room temperature. Whisk ricotta, 1/3 cup parmesan cheese, egg, lemon peel, 1/2teaspoon pepper, 1/2 teaspoon salt in mediun bowl. Stir in cooled zucchini mixture. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Roll out crusts or used ready made crusts, spoon filling into center, drizzle with melted butter and parmesan cheese. Bake 15 minutes, reduce temperature to 375 degrees and bake another 25 minutes or longer until the crust is golden and the filling is set. Let rest 5 minutes before serving.

Green Tomato- Red Onion Relish

2 1/2pounds green tomatoes, diced in 1/4"
2 Red onions, diced in 1/4"
2 Red bell peppers, seeded, cut into 1/4" dice
1/4 cup plus 1 1/2 coarse kosher salt
2 cups distilled white vinegar
1 1/2 cups golden brown sugar
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teasp. whole coriander seeds
3/4 teasp whole aniseed

Combine tomatoes, onions, peppers, and 1/4 coarse kosher salt in large glass bowl. Stir to mix. Cover and let stand in cool place at least 12 hours and up to one day, stirring occasionally.

Drain tomato mixture in large colander. Rinse with cold water. let drain well, at least 30 minutes. Using hands, squeeze any excess liquid from tomato mixture.

Combine tomato mixture, 11/2 coarse salt and next five ingredients in large pot. Stir over mediun high heat until the sugar dissolves. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to mediun low; simmer until almost all liquid evaporates; stirring frequently. about 1 hour 10 minutes. Remove from heat.

Ladle mixture into 6 hot clean jars (1/2 pint) glass canning jars, leaving 1/2" space on top of jars. Remove air bubbles. Wipe jar threads and rims with clean damp cloth. Cover with hot lids; apply screw bands. Process jars in pot of boiling water 10 minutes. Cool jars completely. Store in cool dark place up to 1 year.

CHEF RICK NIVERSON'S FAMILY EGG NOODLES

INGREDIENTS:

1 POUND OF FLOUR

PLUS 1 CUP OF FLOUR

1 TEASPOON OF SALT

1 DOZEN EGGS

MORE FLOUR OR MORE EGGS AS NEEDED

INSTRUCTIONS:

CRACK ALL THE EGGS INTO A LARGE BOWL AND WHIP.

SLOWLY AND GRADUALLY ADD THE FLOUR.

MIX WITH YOUR HANDS TIL COMBINED.

SPRINKLE WITH SALT.

WORK AND KNEAD THE DOUGH TIL STICKY; BUT NOT SO STICKY THAT IT STICKS TO YOUR FINGERS.

SPINKLE FLOUR ON YOUR SURFACE AND ROLL OUT TIL ABOUT 1/8" THICK("LIKE A PIECRUST")

ROLL UP LIKE A JELLY ROLL.

CUT INTO 1/8 TO 1/4" SLICES ("BEST TO USE A SERRATED KNIFE.")

UNROLL; SPREAD OUT ON NEWSPAPER AND DUST WITH FLOUR.

"IF YOU COOK RIGHT AWAY, THEY ARE VERY TENDER. YOU CAN ALSO LET DRY, THE DRYER THEY ARE, THE TOUGHER THEY WILL BE."

Indulge in the Chocolate Cookie that's more Chocolate than Cookie!!

"ONE BOWL"

DEATH BY CHOCOLATE COOKIE

2 PACKAGES (16 SQUARES) SEMI-SWEET CHOCOLATE

3/4 CUP PACKED BROWN SUGAR

1/4 CUP BUTTER

2 EGGS

1 TEASPOON VANILLA

1/2 CUP FLOUR

1/4 TEASPOON BAKING POWDER

2 CUPS CHOPPED NUTS

HEAT OVEN TO 350 DEGREES.

COARSELY CHOP ONE PACKAGE (8 SQUARES) CHOCOLATE; SET ASIDE.

MICROWAVE REMAINING 8 SQUARES OF CHOCOLATE IN A LARGE BOWL(MICROWAVE SAFE BOWL)

FOR 1-2 MINUTES. STIR CHOCOLATE TIL MELTED AND SMOOTH.

STIR IN SUGAR, BUTTER, EGGS AND VANILLA.

STIR IN FLOUR AND BAKING POWDER.

STIR IN RESERVED CHOCOLATE CHUNKS AND NUTS.

DROP BY 1/4 CUPFULS UNTO UNGREASED COOKIE SHEET.

BAKE 12-13 MINUTES- UNTIL COOKIES ARE PUFFED AND FEEL SET TO TOUCH.

COOL ON COOKIE SHEET 1 MINUTE. TRANSFER TO WIRE RACK TO COOL COMPLETELY.

MAKES ABOUT 1 AND 1/2 DOZEN COOKIES.