I've never been to Vermont and frankly I've only recently developed much of a taste for maple syrup. Though I receive a fair number of regional cookbooks I usually don't find them very interesting. So I really did not expect to fall in love with Cooking with Shelburne Farms Food and Stories from Vermont. But I did.
Shelburne Farms is a 1,400 acre working farm that was declared a National Historic Landmark and serves as a nonprofit environmental education center. The book is filled with stories about farmers and food producers in Vermont and recipes from the inn on the property. And it's the recipes that really speak to me the most. They are organized around food groups from the region such as Sweet Maple, Wild Mushrooms, Apples. They're a combination of old-fashioned, and new and appealing combinations.
Here are some recipes that really caught my eye--Beet, Apple and Radish Salad, Tomato-Cheddar Soup, Pasta with Sweet Peas and Morels, and Apple and Cinnamon-Sugar Pancakes and Maple Sugar Blondies. There is something cozy and inviting about all of them. Though not the focus on the book, some of the recipes are fairly healthy, using ingredients like yogurt and plenty of vegetables. It's a cloth bound hardcover book and there are chef tips sprinkled throughout and a handful of color photos. Like a good travel book, this cookbook makes you feel like you are there.
This recipe sounds perfect for a crisp Fall day...
Maple and Black Pepper Chicken
Serves 4