Smoked Trout, Caper Crème Fraiche, and Pickled Onion Toast

Have you given any thought to New Year’s breakfast? This smoked trout toast will cure any hangover, can be prepped the day before, and best of all, it’s really really good. To pickle the onions, combine a half a cup of apple cider vinegar and a cup of water then stir in a tablespoon of sugar and a half tablespoon of salt until dissolved. Mix in a teaspoon of whole or finely ground black pepper followed by a very thinly sliced red onion, cover with saran and refrigerate for at least an hour or up to two days.

For the crème fraiche, scrape a half pint into a bowl and add a generous handful of finely chopped capers, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, and coarse salt and ground pepper to taste. Refrigerate until a half hour before serving. When you’re ready to go, grill a sliced baguette with a bit of oil in a hot pan, or toast some sliced bread, then simply layer the crème fraiche, smoked trout, and pickled onion on top.

Have a tasty New Year!

Frisee Lardon

Tis the season for something a little special, and this French classic is just that. The first thing to do is remove your eggs from the fridge so they’ll be at room temperature by the time you poach them. Slice some thick cut bacon into ¼” pieces and cook in a heavy pan over medium heat until it starts to brown then remove from the heat.

While you’re bringing a couple inches of water, with a splash of white vinegar or pickle juice, to a boil, rip your frisee into bit size pieces and put in a large salad bowl. Put the bacon back on medium heat, stir in a minced shallot followed by a few splashes of red wine vinegar. Leave it on the heat to reduce while you poach the eggs.

Crack your eggs individually into a small bowl and gently pour them into the simmering water one at a time. Simmer for approximately two minutes, or until the yolks are to your liking, then remove the eggs from the water with a slotted spoon and place on a warm plate. Quickly toss the frisee with the warm bacon vinegar, salt and pepper to taste, then plate and top with a poached egg.

Beet and Tomato Soup

The more local the beets the better for this super easy, healthy, and flavorful winter soup. Sauté a chopped onion and a couple minced garlic cloves in a soup pot with a bit of olive oil until the onion is translucent. Add 1 ½ to 2 pounds of peeled beets cut into small chunks, a large can of crushed tomatoes along with their juices, and a quarter teaspoon each of cumin and cayenne pepper. Stir, then add enough water, chicken, or vegetable stock to cover the beets.

Bring to a boil then simmer covered until the beets are soft, about an hour. It’s not necessary, but at this point you can use your stick blender or a food processor to puree the soup to your desired degree of chunkiness. Season with salt and some additional cumin and cayenne.