“Game” Day Chili

Meat & Seafood Department

Servings: 8

Ingredients

2 lbs Ground Bison
2 lbs Ground Elk
2 Onions, diced
2 Green Peppers, diced
½ cup Garlic, chopped
½ cup Chili Powder
2 T Cumin
1 T plus 1 tsp Coriander
2 tsp Chili Flakes
2 tsp Oregano
1 tsp Cayenne Pepper
4 15-oz cans Kidney Beans, rinsed & drained
4 14.5-oz cans Diced Tomatoes
2 28-oz cans Tomato Puree

Preparation

1. In a large pot over medium heat, sauté the onion, peppers, and garlic in a small amount of oil with all the spices.
2. When onions are translucent, add ground bison and ground elk.
3. When the meat is cooked through, add beans, diced tomatoes, and tomato puree.
4. Simmer for 30 minutes or more.
5. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Fire-Roasted Jalapeno Butternut Bisque

Prepared Foods Department

Servings: 10

The “fire-roasted jalapenos” in this recipe add a great smoky flavor to the base of the soup. If you don’t have a gas range, and no other way to fire roast your jalapenos, you can always roast them in an oven with oil or grill them to get a similar charred effect. This recipe includes instructions for fire roasting the peppers over a gas range.

Soup Ingredients

5 lbs Butternut Squash, peeled & large dice
½ cup Onions, medium dice
2 T  Garlic, minced
4 T Butter
¼ cup Pinot Grigio White Wine
1  Jalapeno
4 cups Heavy Cream
4 cups Vegetable Stock
1 T sweet Paprika
1½ teaspoon Salt

Topping Ingredients

10 oz North Country Fruitwood Smoked Bacon
1 ½ teaspoon Maple Syrup
6 oz Blue Cheese, crumbled
½ Baguette
¼ cup Olive Oil
1 T Brown Sugar
¼ lb Pecans, toasted

Soup Preparation

1. In a large stockpot, melt butter on medium heat. When butter is melted and hot, add onions, garlic, and white wine. Continue cooking for 5 minutes or so until most of the alcohol is cooked out (you can tell by smelling the steam).
2. Add vegetable stock, cream, butternut squash, spices, and cover. Bring to a boil (this will take at least 8 minutes).
3. While you wait for the soup to heat, begin to roast your jalapeno. Place your pepper on the grates above the range and let the flames burn away the skin of the pepper. You want a good char so do not be afraid to burn the flesh of the pepper a bit. For this recipe, black is good. Your jalapeno should be almost entirely cooked and the skin removed, and it should be soft and fragrant when you are done. Remove the stem by slicing off the tops of the pepper, then slice in half lengthwise. Remove the majority of the seeds and the white internal flesh with a spoon or a pairing knife. Dice very small and reserve.
4. By now, your soup should be boiling or almost boiling. Let the soup continue to cook until the butternut is soft and you can pass a knife right through. Check several of the pieces to be sure that they are all cooked.
5. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until the consistency is soft and velvety. You want to be sure to fully blend the contents, so don’t hold back.
6. Add your roasted and diced jalapenos, then mix well. Lower heat to a simmer, cover, and let the soup do its thing for at least 20 more minutes to allow the flavors to develop.

Topping Preparation

1. For the bacon, simply line a sheet tray with wax paper, brush the tops with the maple syrup (you can go light with the syrup, a little really goes a long way) and bake in a 400-degree oven until crispy (about 10-14 minutes). Remove from oven, cool, and dice small.
2. For the croutons, prepare your baguette with a large dice, tossing in olive oil, then laying on a wax paper-lined sheet pan. Press the blue cheese crumbles into the croutons before baking them in a 400-degree oven for 15 minutes, until the bread is crispy and the cheese is melted. Remove from oven and cool. Do not leave out at room temperature.
3. For the pecan crust, simply blend the brown sugar and the pecans in a food processor until the pecans have been reduced to pebble-sized pieces. Reserve this.

Serve & Store

1. With your soup fully prepared and simmering, and your toppings on the side, you are ready to serve. Garnish each bowl with a little bit (or a lotta bit) of bacon, some crispy bleu cheese croutons, and a sprinkling of your pecan brown sugar crust. If you are serving anybody who is vegetarian, exclude the bacon. This soup is versatile.
2. When it comes time to store, be sure that you get the temperature down quickly! The temperature should fall from 140 degrees to below 70 degrees in the first 2 hours, then from 70 degrees to under 40 degrees in the following 4 hours. Refrigerate for up to 6 days. You can also freeze the soup for up to 6 months.

Buffalo Chicken Soup

Front End Department

Servings: 6
Gluten-Free, Keto

Ingredients

1 T Olive Oil
1 T Butter
½ medium Onion, chopped
2 sticks Celery, chopped small
2 medium Carrots, peeled & chopped small
1 (1 oz) packet of Ranch Seasoning
4 cups Chicken Broth
¼ cup Wing It! Hot Sauce (more or less depending on how much heat you like)
3 Chicken Breasts
8 oz Cream Cheese
Salt & Pepper to taste
Garnish (optional): crumbled Bleu Cheese & chopped Scallions

Preparation

1. Take the cream cheese out of the fridge and let it soften up prior to starting the recipe or microwave it for 20-30 seconds.
2. Add the oil & butter to a pot over medium-high heat.
3. Sautee the onion, celery, and carrot for about 7 minutes.
4. Stir in the ranch seasoning, followed by the chicken broth and the Wing It! Sauce.
5. Add the chicken breasts (no need to cut them up) to the pot. Increase the heat to high and bring the soup to a boil. Once it’s boiling, reduce the heat so the soup is simmering. Let it cook for 12 minutes.
6. Take the chicken out of the pan and place it on a cutting board. Meanwhile, add the cream cheese to the soup. Cut the chicken into small pieces. It should be mostly cooked, but if it’s not quite done yet, that’s fine.
7. Add the cream cheese and mix it into the soup. Add the chicken into the soup once the cream cheese is incorporated.
8. Continue to let the soup simmer until the chicken is fully cooked. Season with salt & pepper.
9. Serve and garnish as desired.

Vegan* Sweet Potato, Kale & Chickpea Soup

Produce Department

Servings: 6
*Vegan

We like this soup, even more, the next day. Leftovers keep well, covered and refrigerated, for about 4 days. The soup freezes well, too.

Ingredients

2 T Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
1 large Yellow Onion, chopped
1 Red Bell Pepper, chopped
1 lb Sweet Potatoes, peeled & diced (about 3 cups)
¼ tsp Salt, more to taste
2 T Thai Red Curry Paste
1 cup uncooked Farro, rinsed**
4 cups Vegetable Broth
2 cups water
1 can (15 oz) Chickpeas, rinsed & drained, or
1½ cups cooked Chickpeas
½ bunch of Kale (4 oz), chopped (about 3 cups)
¼ tsp Cayenne Pepper, to taste (optional)

**or 3 cups cooked whole grains, like Wheat Berries, Spelt Berries or Kamut

Preparation

1. In a large soup pot, heat the oil over medium heat until shimmering. Stir in the onion, bell pepper, sweet potato, and salt. Sauté for five minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion starts to soften.
2. Add the curry paste and stir until the vegetables are coated and the curry is fragrant, about 1 minute.
3. Add the farro, if that’s your grain of choice. Add the vegetable broth and water, and stir to combine.
4. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 25 minutes.
5. Test the farro for doneness—if it’s tender and cooked through, add the chickpeas and kale. Stir to combine, and cook for 5 more minutes, or until the kale is cooked to your liking. If you chose to use pre-cooked whole grains, add them now. (If the farro is not done cooking yet, continue simmering until it’s tender, then proceed with the kale. This could take another 20 minutes, depending on the farro.)
6. Taste, and season with more salt as needed. I usually add about ½ teaspoon—if the soup tastes flat, add more salt. To kick up the flavor a notch and balance the sweetness of the sweet potatoes, stir in the optional cayenne pepper.
7. Ladle the soup into bowls and serve.