A Southern Yuletide Feast

Southern Living annually celebrates the Christmas holiday with beautifully photographed books and magazines. This year’s book, Southern LivingChristmas All Through the South: Joyful Memories, Timeless Moments, Enduring Traditions by the editors of Southern Living magazine (Oxmoor House, 2014), brings to life the joyful memories, enduring traditions, and warmth inherent in every Southern holiday celebration and tradition. The book features recipes for every festive occasion, elegant decorations for your home, and gracious hospitality ideas put together by the Southern Living team. Kimberly Whitman, Editor-at-Large for Southern Living, visited The 700 Club and shared some of the book’s unique holiday decorating ideas. Whitman adorned our festive holiday mantle with glass ornaments and silver candlesticks; showed our viewers how to craft moss and votive name card holders; and how to create a beautiful, rustic table setting using a soft-color palette of silver, soft brown and green. But no festive table would be complete without the delicious holiday foods that will keep everyone talking…at least until next year!  Following are recipes from Southern Living’s 2014 Christmas All Through the Souththat could be just what your dinner table needs to complete the celebration of a truly Southern Yuletide Feast.

Arugula-Pear-Blue Cheese Salad
Makes 8 servings • Hands-on 15 min. • Total 15 min.

1⁄4 cup plus 2 Tbsp. pear preserves
1⁄2 cup Champagne vinegar
1 shallot, sliced
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1⁄2 tsp. table salt
1⁄4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1⁄2 cup olive oil
8 cups loosely packed arugula
2 Bartlett pears, cut into 6 wedges each
4 oz. blue cheese, crumbled
1⁄4 cup chopped toasted walnuts

1. Process 1⁄4 cup preserves and next 5 ingredients in a food processor 30 seconds to 1 minute or until smooth. With processor running, pour oil through food chute in a slow, steady stream, processing until smooth. Transfer to a 2-cup measuring cup or small bowl, and stir in remaining
2 Tbsp. pear preserves.
2. Place arugula in a large serving bowl. Top with pears, blue cheese, and walnuts. Drizzle with vinaigrette.

Cranberry Roasted Winter Vegetables
Makes 8 servings • Hands-on 30 min. • Total 1 hr., 20 min.

Roast the vegetables before the pork roast. Then, put them back in the oven to reheat while the pork rests.

4 large carrots (about 11⁄2 lb.), halved lengthwise and cut into 1-inch pieces
3 large turnips (about 2 lb.), peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces*
1 lb. Brussels sprouts, halved (quartered, if large)
1 Tbsp. minced fresh rosemary
2 Tbsp. olive oil
3⁄4 tsp. table salt
1⁄4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 cup fresh or thawed frozen cranberries
4 tsp. molasses

1. Preheat oven to 400°. Lightly grease 2 large jelly-roll pans; place carrots and turnips in 1 pan and Brussels sprouts in second pan. Divide rosemary and next 3 ingredients between carrot mixture and Brussels sprouts; toss each to coat.
2. Bake both pans at 400° at the same time. Bake carrot mixture 30 minutes, stirring once; add cranberries, and bake 5 minutes or until carrots and turnips are tender and browned and cranberries begin to soften. Bake Brussels sprouts 15 to 20 minutes or until tender and browned, stirring once.
3. Remove vegetables from oven, and combine in a large serving bowl. Drizzle with molasses, and toss to coat.

*2 lb. parsnips may be substituted.

Pork Roast with Sweet Onion-Pumpkin Seed Relish
Makes 8 servings • Hands-on 20 min. • Total 1 hr., 50 min.

Be sure to ask your butcher to cut out the chine bone and to french the rib rack for easy carving and an elegant presentation.

11⁄4 tsp. table salt, divided
1⁄2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 (5-lb.) 8-rib bone-in pork loin roast, chine bone removed
1 Tbsp. minced fresh rosemary
4 tsp. minced fresh thyme, divided
3 large sweet onions (about 2 lb.), cut into 1⁄2-inch-thick rings
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1⁄8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp. white wine vinegar
1 tsp. light brown sugar
1⁄4 cup toasted pumpkin seeds

1. Preheat oven to 450°. Sprinkle 1 tsp. salt and 1⁄2 tsp. pepper over pork; rub rosemary and 1 Tbsp. thyme over pork. Place pork in a lightly greased roasting pan.
2. Toss together onions, olive oil, 1⁄8 tsp. pepper, and remaining 1⁄4 tsp. salt until coated. Arrange onions around pork.
3. Bake at 450° for 30 minutes; reduce oven temperature to 375°. Bake 50 more minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted into thickest portion registers 145°, stirring onions once. Transfer pork to a cutting board; cover loosely with aluminum foil, and let stand 10 minutes before slicing.
4. Meanwhile, coarsely chop onions; transfer to a bowl. Stir in vinegar, brown sugar, and remaining 1 tsp. thyme. Stir in pumpkin seeds before serving. Serve pork with relish.

Sweet Potato Soup
Makes 8 cups • Hands-on 35 min. • Total 1 hr., 5 min.

Make the soup through Step 2 the day before. Reheat and stir in the lime juice before serving.

2 Tbsp. butter
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
51⁄2 cups reduced-sodium fat-free chicken broth
2 lb. sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped (2 large)
1 cup apple cider
1 tsp. minced canned chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
1 tsp. table salt
2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
1⁄2 cup sour cream
2 tsp. fresh lime juice
Garnish: fresh cilantro

1. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat; add onion, and sauté 5 to 7 minutes or until tender. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute. Stir in broth and next 4 ingredients. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
2. Process mixture with a handheld blender until smooth. (If you don’t have a handheld blender, cool mixture 10 minutes, and process, in batches, in a regular blender until smooth. Return to saucepan, and proceed with Step 3.)
3. Cook potato mixture over low heat, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Stir in 2 Tbsp. lime juice. Whisk together sour cream and 2 tsp. lime juice. Ladle soup into bowls, and drizzle each serving with sour cream mixture.

Tiny Caramel Tarts
Makes 6 dozen • Hands-on 30 min. • Total 4 hr., 30 min., including pastry shells

Add a festive touch! Just before serving, sprinkle tarts with finely chopped chocolate, crystallized ginger, toffee, sea salt, or toasted pecans.

2 cups sugar, divided
1⁄2 cup cold butter, sliced
6 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
4 large egg yolks
2 cups milk
Cream Cheese Pastry Shells
Sweetened whipped cream

1. Cook 1 cup sugar in a medium-size heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring constantly, 6 to 8 minutes or until sugar melts and turns golden brown. Stir in butter until melted.
2. Whisk together flour, egg yolks, milk, and remaining 1 cup sugar in a 3-qt. heavy saucepan; bring just to a simmer over low heat, whisking constantly. Add sugar mixture to flour mixture, and cook, whisking constantly, 1 to 2 minutes or until thickened. Cover and chill 4 hours.
3. Meanwhile, prepare Cream Cheese Pastry Shells. Spoon caramel mixture into pastry shells, and top with whipped cream.

Cream Cheese Pastry Shells
Makes 6 dozen • Hands-on 35 min. • Total 2 hr.

1 cup butter, softened
1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese, softened
31⁄2 cups all-purpose flour

1. Beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed with a heavy-duty electric stand mixer until creamy. Gradually add flour to butter mixture, beating at low speed just until blended. Shape dough into 72 (3⁄4-inch) balls, and place on a baking sheet; cover and chill 1 hour.
2. Preheat oven to 400°. Place dough balls in cups of lightly greased miniature muffin pans; press dough to top of cups, forming shells.
3. Bake at 400° for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from pans to wire racks, and cool completely (about 15 minutes).

Tip: Baked pastry shells may be made up to one month ahead and frozen in an airtight container. Thaw at room temperature before filling.

Wild Rice with Bacon and Fennel
Makes 8 servings • Hands-on 40 min. • Total 1 hr., 5 min.

Use wild rice, not a blend, for the best texture.

11⁄3 cups uncooked wild rice
4 bacon slices
1 large fennel bulb, thinly sliced
1 large onion, cut into thin wedges
2 garlic cloves, minced
1⁄2 cup reduced-sodium fat-free chicken broth
1⁄3 cup golden raisins
1⁄4 tsp. table salt
1⁄8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1⁄4 cup chopped fresh fennel fronds or flat-leaf parsley
1 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
1⁄2 cup chopped toasted walnuts

1. Cook wild rice according to package directions; drain.
2. Meanwhile, cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat 7 to 8 minutes or until crisp; drain on paper towels, reserving 1 Tbsp. drippings in skillet.
Chop bacon.
3. Sauté fennel bulb and onion in hot drippings over medium-high heat 5 minutes or until softened. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute. Add broth and next 3 ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer 8 minutes or until tender. Stir in rice and bacon; cook, stirring often, 3 minutes.
4. Transfer to a large serving bowl. Stir in fennel fronds and vinegar. Stir in walnuts just before serving.

Fact Source

Recipes, images  and information contained in this edition of A Closer Look are taken from Southern Living Christmas All Through the South:Joyful Memories, Timeless Moments, Enduring Traditions by the editors of Southern Living magazine (Oxmoor House, 2014).  All rights reserved. Used with permission.

About the Author

Kimberly Schlegel Whitman, is the Editor-at-Large for Southern Living and Southern Living Christmas All Through the South:Joyful Memories, Timeless Moments, Enduring Traditions by the editors of Southern Living magazine (Oxmoor House, 2014). She is also the Editor-at-Large for Southern Living magazine, the nation’s 6th largest monthly consumer magazine with 16 million readers. The author of six entertaining books, Whitman is also a former event planner and a former host of television lifestyle segments for MSN, Southern Living, Designing America, and Designing Texas. She has been featuredon The Today Show, The Early Show, and HGTV. She earned a B.A. in art history, with a minor in fine arts, from Southern Methodist University.  For more information, log onto:  www.kimberlywhitman.com  or www.southernliving.com .

The opinions presented here or on The 700 Club do not necessarily represent the views of CBN.

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