The snap of cool breezes signals a change in the season, but it doesn’t have to mean you stop enjoying fruit beers, coolers and ciders. Whether you are hanging on to summer by enjoying a cool Coldstream Distillery Cranberry Vodka Soda or embracing the fall with a flavourful cider such as Lake City Darkside, the NSLC has a selection for you. With these food and drink pairings, trying fall flavoured beverages has never been so easy.
Fried Goat Cheese with Dried Cranberries and Honey
Serve with Moosehead Cranberry Radler
Makes 12 Pieces
Prep Time: less than 30 minutes
Total Time: less than 1 hour
Vegetable oil, for frying
300 g goat’s cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup flour
1 egg, beaten
3/4 cup Panko breadcrumbs
1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp honey
Directions: Slice the goat’s cheese into 12 equal pieces. Place a few dried cranberries onto each slice and then roll each slice into balls. Place in the freezer for 15 minutes. Heat 3 inches of oil in a saucepan until it reaches 375°F. Roll the goat cheese balls into the flour and dip in the beaten egg. Roll in the breadcrumbs being sure to completely coat the balls. Carefully drop a ball into the oil. Using a long spoon, gently roll them around so they don’t stick. Fry for 1 minute, or until golden brown. Dry on a paper towel-lined plate. Repeat with remaining balls. Drizzle with honey.
Roasted Sweet Potato, Broccoli, Quinoa Salad
Serve with Coldstream Distillery Cranberry Vodka Soda
6 to 8 servings
Prep time: less than 30 minutes
Total time: less than 1 hour
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled, diced
Vegetable oil
2 tbsp + 1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red onion, sliced
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup quinoa
2 cups chicken stock
2 lemons, juiced
1/2 cup mint leaves, chopped
1 cup dried cranberries
1 head broccoli, florets removed, steamed
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
Directions: Toss sweet potatoes in vegetable oil (2 tbsp). Place on baking sheet. Roast in an oven preheated to 425°F for 20 to 25 minutes. The potatoes should be tender but not mushy. Remove from oven and let cool.Place a large pot over medium-low heat; then add two tablespoons of olive oil.Add the sliced red onion and sauté until the onions are soft. Add the ginger, cumin and cinnamon and sauté until fragrant; approximately 30 seconds. Add the quinoa and chicken stock; bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes; stir periodically. Remove the pot from the heat and add half of the remaining olive oil (1/4 cup), lemon juice and mint. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Toss the dried cranberries, broccoli and reserved sweet potatoes in another bowl with remaining olive oil. Serve quinoa in a bowl topped with broccoli, sweet potato and cranberry mixture.
Potato, Bacon and Squash Tart
Serve with Chain Yard Foundation Cider
4 to 6 Servings
Prep Time: less than 1 hour
Total Time: more than 1 hour
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
10 strips smoked bacon
1 leek, washed, julienned
1 cup squash purée*
2 yellow fleshed potatoes, peeled, sliced on mandolin*
1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
Directions: Preheat oven to 400 °F. Roll out pastry until it is 11x14 inches. Fry bacon until crispy. Remove from pan. Let cool and chop. Lower heat of pan to medium-low. Add leeks and sauté in the bacon fat until soft. Remove and place on paper towel to remove excess fat. Place pastry on a baking sheet. Top with squash purée, sautéed leeks and bacon. Neatly top with potato slices and grated cheddar. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. The pastry should be crispy. Slice to serve.*Slice a butternut squash in half. Remove seeds. Place on a baking sheet cut side down. Roast in oven preheated to 400 °F for 45 minutes. Remove from oven. Scoop out into a bowl. Add 3 tablespoons of butter, 2 tablespoons brown sugar and 1 heaping teaspoon ground cinnamon. Mash until smooth. Serve any remaining purée as its own side dish.
Cider and Cinnamon Glazed Roast Ham
Serve with Lake City Darkside Cider
8 Servings
Prep Time: less than 30 minutes
Total Time: less than 3 hours
1 8-lb leg of ham
1/4 cup butter
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp cider
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Directions: Preheat oven to 350 °F. Set in a covered roasting pan, cut side down, lined with aluminum foil. Place in the oven and roast for 45 minutes. While the ham is roasting, make the glaze by combining butter, brown sugar, cider and cinnamon in a pot. Melt butter and stir to combine. Remove ham from oven and score ham in a crisscross pattern. Increase heat to 400 °F. Generously brush the ham with a third of the glaze. Place ham back in oven, uncovered. After 20 minutes, brush again with another third of the glaze. After another 20 minutes, repeat. After one hour, remove from oven. Let rest before slicing.