COOKINGUS $40.00 / $40.00 CAN ISBN: 978-1-63217-402-4 At Five Marys Farms, Mary He ernan, along with her husband, Brian, and four daughters, mark moments large and small throughout the year—from rodeo wins to new animals in the barn—with unforgettable meals and traditions. Discover the He ernan family’s cozy holiday traditions and more than 75 fl avorful recipes in these themed menus for a fi reside feast, summer cookout, or end-of-week taco party, with kid-friendly DIY projects too. Embark on a journey through the seasons and events driving life on the ranch as you create Five Marys favorites for your own memorable gatherings with cherished family and friends. Savor the Seasons with Five Marys Recipes and Traditions from the Ranch MARY HEFFERNAN FAMILY STYLE “Five Marys Family Style has taken beloved family recipes and turned them into easy, fun to create, and totally delicious dishes. I want to make everything from this book! It’s the perfect family-style cookbook.” —Tieghan Gerard, Half Baked Harvest fam ily st yle M AR Y HEF FERN AN “I love Mary and her family. Giddyup and start cookin’!!!” AL ROKER67 A C HRIS TMA S F E A S T DURING MY MOTHER’S CHILDHOOD, my grandfather loved to host and cook for big family events. He always served cracked crab with a mayonnaise-based sauce and hot crusty sourdough on Christmas Eve, starting with the fresh crab he’d buy live at the fish market. It doesn’t get more San Francisco than that! We still do this every year, with my dad carrying on the tradition. The girls delight in the sight of live crabs in a cooler before dinner, and we always prepare enough to have plenty of leftover crabmeat for a Christmas Day seafood appetizer—like these crab cakes, made with plenty of fresh Dungeness crab. They’re the ideal handheld make-ahead bites for a special occasion. SALTINE-CRUSTED BITE-SIZE CRAB CAKES WITH JALAPEÑO TARTAR SAUCE Makes 3 dozen crab cakes, plus 1½ cups tartar sauce Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parch- ment paper and set aside. To make the crab cakes, in a medium skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat until foamy. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes, until translucent. Add the garlic and stir for about 15 seconds, then transfer the mixture to a medium mixing bowl. Add the crab, 1⁄2 cup of the cracker crumbs, the eggs, Old Bay, salt, and pepper, and stir until well blended. Put the remaining 3⁄4 cup cracker crumbs in a small bowl. Using a tablespoon, form the crab mixture into 36 balls, each about a packed tablespoon’s worth. Working with one ball at a time, flatten each into a roughly 1 1⁄2-inch-wide and 3⁄4-inch-thick disc, then dip it in the cracker crumbs on all sides and transfer to the prepared bak- ing sheet. Repeat with the remaining balls and crumbs. (The crab cakes can be made to this point and refrigerated, covered, for up to 24 hours, or you can freeze them directly on the baking sheet, then pack them into an airtight container and freeze for up to 1 month.) Brush the crab cakes all over with the remaining 4 tablespoons melted butter, then bake for 15 minutes (or slightly longer from frozen), or until well toasted. FOR THE CRAB CAKES 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, divided 1⁄2 cup finely chopped yellow onion 1 large clove garlic, minced 1 pound fresh Dungeness crabmeat, flaked 1 1⁄4 cups saltine cracker crumbs (from about 35 crackers; see Note), divided 2 large eggs, beaten 1 1⁄2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning 3⁄4 teaspoon kosher salt 1⁄4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper ingredients continueFAMIL Y S T YLE 68 Meanwhile, make the tartar sauce. In a small mixing bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, jalapeño, onion, cornichons, capers, lemon zest and juice, and salt and pepper to taste until well blended. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve, or for up to 3 days. Serve the crab cakes warm or at room temperature, with the tartar sauce dolloped on top or served alongside for dipping. (Cooled crab cakes can be refrigerated for up to 3 days and reheated for 5 minutes in a 425-degree oven before serving.) NOTE: To make the cracker crumbs, put the saltines in a large ziplock bag, seal it, and use a rolling pin or wine bottle to roll them until well crushed (but not totally powdered). FOR THE TARTAR SAUCE 1 cup mayonnaise 1 jalapeño (small or large, depending on how much spice you like), finely chopped 2 tablespoons finely chopped yellow onion 1 tablespoon diced cornichons or dill pickles 1 tablespoon capers, finely chopped Zest and juice of 1 medium lemon (about 1 teaspoon zest plus 2 tablespoons juice) Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper SALTINE-CRUSTED BITE-SIZE CRAB CAKES WITH JALAPEÑO TARTAR SAUCE, CONTINUED109 E A S TER S UND A Y S UPPER WHILE PRIME CUTS OF MEAT (like rack of lamb, beef tenderloin, and prime rib) usu- ally steal the show at big family gatherings, there are other lesser-known cuts that make beautiful, delicious centerpieces for just a fraction of the cost. Take a pork top loin roast, for example: covered with a simple spice mixture (like our M5 Spice Rub on page 21), top loin (also called a boneless loin roast) is a lean, sliceable roast that can be on the table in about an hour. But with a little more effort—say, stuffing the pork with lightly caramelized onions, spinach, herbs, and feta—you get a show-stopping meal that’s also really fun to cook. This is a great recipe for older kids who are confi- dent cooks but haven’t tried more formal meals, because no matter how precise the pork cut or how much of the stuffing falls out, the roast looks gorgeous and tastes delicious (just don’t overcook it!). You can use this recipe as a blueprint for whatever stuffing you can dream up: Use kale or collards instead of the spinach. Add a layer of thinly sliced prosciutto or chopped kalamata olives or sundried tomatoes. Substitute blue cheese for the feta. And if you’d prefer to use a cut with a little more fat, substitute pork shoulder for the top loin roast. Note: You’ll need five roughly 2-foot-long pieces of kitchen string to tie around the pork. STUFFED PORK ROAST WITH SPINACH AND FETA Makes 8 servings Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Position an oven rack a third of the way from the bottom of the oven. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. When hot, add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and the onion, and cook and stir until soft and evenly brown, about 10 minutes, decreasing the heat if the onions begin to get too dark. Add the garlic and oregano, and season with salt and pepper. Cook until the garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute, then add the spinach, season again, and cook, stirring frequently, until all liquid has evaporated from the spinach, another 2 to 3 minutes. Add 1⁄2 cup of the wine and the broth, and simmer until the liquid has evaporated, another 5 minutes or so. Remove from the heat and stir in the bread crumbs. Set aside to cool. Meanwhile, prepare the pork for stuffing in one of two ways: For a simpler stuffed roast, cut the roast nearly in half lengthwise, keeping one long side intact so that it opens up like a book with the 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided 1 medium yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced 2 large cloves garlic, minced 2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano, divided Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 (10-ounce) package frozen cut spinach, thawed and drained of any excess liquid 1 cup dry white wine, divided 1⁄2 cup beef bone broth 1⁄3 cup plain bread crumbs 1 (4-pound) boneless top loin pork roast, strings removed 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme 1 cup (about 4 ounces) crumbled feta111 E A S TER S UND A Y S UPPER fatty half as its cover. This will result in a roast with a stripe of filling inside. For a butterflied roast (with the filling in a spiral), once the roast is splayed open in half, make two more cuts parallel to the cutting board to halve each open half of the roast again, starting a third of the way toward each edge from the centerline of the opened roast and cutting the meat in half again parallel to the cut- ting board almost all the way to the outer long sides, again keeping the long sides intact. You should end up with a roast that opens like a four-paneled brochure. Using a heavy skillet, pound the meat to an even thickness (about 1⁄2 to 3⁄4 inch thick, depending on the size of the roast). Season the entire roast inside and out with salt and pepper and the thyme, then close the roast back up so the fattiest part ends up on top. To stuff the meat, arrange five 2-foot-long pieces of kitchen string at equal intervals (each about 2 inches apart) on a clean work surface. Center the closed roast perpendicular to the strings, with the fat side up, then open the roast and press the stuffing into the inside (on the bottom half, if you sliced it once, or across the entire inside, if you butterflied it), leaving a 1-inch border all the way around so the filling has room to spread when you roll it up. Scatter the feta over the stuffing and gently press it down. Close the roast again, fat side up, gently rolling it into a spiral ending with the fatty top (if you butterflied it). Tie the five strings snugly around the meat and trim away any extra string. Smear 2 tablespoons of the olive oil across the bottom of a heavy roasting pan. Transfer the pork roast to the pan, drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, and pour the remaining 1⁄2 cup wine around the roast. Roast for 55 to 75 minutes for a top loin roast, or until the cen- ter registers 135 degrees F for medium-rare or 145 degrees F for well-done on an instant-read thermometer. Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes, then cut into 3⁄4-inch to 1-inch slabs and serve hot, drizzled with the pan juices. STUFFED PORK ROAST WITH SPINACH AND FETA, CONTINUED311 A RENA -S IDE D INNER ONE YEAR, WHEN TESSA WAS ABOUT SEVEN, we picked up a box of baby chicks at our local post office and brought them home, as we do every so often to replenish our flock. Tessa became enamored with one particular little chick, which she decided to carry around and keep warm in the pocket of her ranch-style pearl-snap shirt as she did her chores. The chick was soon named Pocket, and although she outgrew her temporary home, we still get a family chuckle remembering that little Tessa tried to raise a chicken in her shirt. Once, when I made these little handheld pies with the girls, we realized they’re also pocket-size. We discovered that, using a gentle touch, they could fit the pies into a shirt pocket, mount their horses, and have dessert on horseback. While I don’t necessarily recommend transporting them inside your clothing—the deep-red juices of the plum filling will win any laundry-room battle—they’re an easy, fun, handheld dessert that kids can take along almost anywhere. FALL PLUM POCKET PIES Makes 9 pies In a small saucepan, stir together the plums, sugar, water, and salt. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the plums have collapsed and given up their juices and the mixture begins to thicken. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the lemon zest and juice and cornstarch. Once the plum mixture is ready, stir in the lemon mixture, return to a simmer (it will thicken a bit more), then pour the filling onto a rimmed plate and transfer to the fridge to cool for 30 minutes. Gently unfold the puff pastry and discard any paper. On a lightly floured work surface, using a floured rolling pin, roll each of the sheets into 13-inch squares. Lightly flour the sheets, stack as needed, and refrigerate on a parchment-lined baking sheet while the filling cools, about 20 minutes. When the filling has cooled, arrange one pastry sheet on a work surface. Using the blunt side of a 4-inch round pastry cutter, gently mark 9 circles in the dough, leaving an inch or so of space between each circle. (You’re just creating a guide for where to put the filling, not actually cutting through the dough.) Scoop the filling in 2-tablespoon heaps in the center of each marked circle. Using a small pastry brush, gently brush some of the egg wash in a 1-inch swath around each pile of filling. Scoot any filling that strays toward its border back into the center of its circle. (Save the extra egg wash—you’ll need it again later.) 1 pound plums (any kind), pitted and chopped into 1⁄2-inch pieces 1⁄2 cup sugar, plus more for sprinkling the pastry 1⁄4 cup water 1⁄4 teaspoon kosher salt 2 teaspoons lemon zest 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice 1 tablespoon cornstarch 2 roughly 9-inch-square sheets puff pastry (from a 17-ounce package), thawed in refrigerator overnight if frozen All-purpose flour, for rolling out the pastry 1 large egg, beatenFAMIL Y S T YLE 312 Place the second pastry sheet over the first so the edges match up. Using your fingertips, press the top layer into the bottom layer right around the edge of each pile of filling, doing what you can to ensure there’s no air between the layers and no filling escapes. Using the sharp side of the cut- ter, stamp out each hand pie so you have 9 individual pockets with filling sealed inside. Discard the excess dough, brush away any flour, and use a fork to crimp all the way around the edges of each pie. Gently transfer the pies back to the baking sheet and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 4 hours. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Brush the pastries with egg wash and shower them with sugar. Using a small, sharp knife, cut three 3⁄4-inch or so vents in the top of each pie, then bake for 20 minutes, or until they are nicely puffed and browned. Let cool for about 15 minutes on the pan, then serve warm or at room temperature. Store any uneaten pies in a sealed container at room temperature for up to 2 days. FALL PLUM POCKET PIES, CONTINUEDNext >