Herbal Artistry

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When your indoor herb garden is growing, you’re ready to harvest- just in time for savory fall and winter dishes. Wisconsin chef Joel Chesebro, who handles cooking demonstrations for Sub-Zero and Wolf, recommends a few dishes to show off your sage, taste your thyme, and kick back with a finish of your lemon balm.

When your indoor herb garden is growing, you're ready to harvest--just in time for savory fall and winter dishes. Wisconsin chef Joel Chesebro, who handles cooking demonstrations for Sub-Zero and Wolf, recommends a few dishes to show off your sage, taste your thyme, and kick back with a finish of your lemon balm. 

Squash Risotto

Ingredients:
1 cup butternut squash, diced
2 cups Arborio rice
1/2 cup caramelized onions
1 clove garlic, diced fine
2 tablespoons minced pancetta (optional)
6 cups chicken stock
1 cup SarVecchio® Parmesan or Asiago cheese
1 teaspoon minced sage
1/4 cup heavy cream
Salt and pepper

Method:

1. Warm the chicken stock to a simmer next to the pan you plan to use for the risotto.
2. In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan, sauté the butter, caramelized onions, garlic, half of the squash cubes, and pancetta over medium heat for three to five minutes, until the fat is rendered out of the pancetta and the garlic has lost its strong smell.
3. Add the rice and stir frequently for five minutes to release some of the starch.
4. Add the rest of the squash cubes and slowly start to ladle the stock into the rice. Stir the rice until the stock is absorbed. Alternate between adding stock and stirring until the stock is fully incorporated, giving the risotto a porridge-like consistency.
5. Finish by stirring in the cheese and cream, until both are absorbed. 6. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Garnish with fried sage leaves and serve.

Whole Roast Chicken

Ingredients:
1 whole cleaned chicken, 4 to 6 pounds
Salt and pepper
4 tablespoons butter, sliced
Bouquet of herbs (parsley, sage, thyme, chives), chopped
1 lemon, sliced in half

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels, then move the chicken to a roasting pan. Liberally salt and pepper the outside of the bird. Place a row of butter pats on the ridge between the chicken's two breasts.
3. Put the herbs and lemon halves inside the cavity.
4. Roast in the oven at 425 degrees for approximately one hour until the thigh meat registers 165 degrees F. on a meat thermometer.
5. Remove from the oven. Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes, covered. Carve and serve with compound butter and squash risotto.

Fried Sage Leaves

Ingredients:
10sage leaves
3 cups vegetable oil
Salt

Method:

1. Using a frying pan and deep-fry thermometer, heat vegetable oil to 330 degrees F.
2. Fry sage in batches of three or four, for 10 to 15 seconds each, until leaves are slightly crisp. Remove from the pan and drain on paper towel.
3. Sprinkle with salt and use as garnish.

Apple, Goat Cheese and Sage Tart

FOR CRUST
1 cup of flour
1/2 pound of butter (2 sticks), diced into 1/4-inch cubes and chilled
1/2 cup ice water
1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cut the chilled butter into the flour and salt. Slowly add the chilled water until the mixture binds together.
3. Form mixture into a ball and chill. Let the dough rest for 30 minutes.
4. With a rolling pin, roll the pastry dough into a 1/4-inch thick round. Move the circle to a tart pan and form it around the sides.
5. At the bottom of the tart pan, add pie weights (or dried beans over parchment paper) to keep the dough from puffing up in the oven.
6. Bake for 10minutes. Remove from the oven and proceed with the recipe below.

FOR FILLING
3 to 4 tart apples, sliced
2 tablespoons of sugar
6 ounces fresh goat cheese
1 tablespoon of heavy cream
1 egg
1 teaspoon sage, chopped
4 medium white onions, sliced thin
4 tablespoons of butter

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. In a sauté pan, caramelize the onions by melting the butter over medium-high heat and adding the sliced onions, stirring to coat. Don't stir too much-the onions won't turn brown. After 10 minutes, salt to taste. Cook for an additional 25 to 30minutes, turning down the heat as the moisture is absorbed and scraping up the browned bits on the pan. Remove from heat when the onions take on a dark, rich color.
3. Next, combine the egg, cream, sage, and goat cheese in a separate bowl.
4. In the baked tart shell, evenly spread the caramelized onions and then the goat cheese mixture.
5. Toss the apple slices in the sugar to coat. Create a fan shape over the top of the tart by layering the slices.
6. Bake for 30minutes. Cool and serve with fried sage as a garnish.