Lamb Sausage Hors d'Oeuvres with Cranberry Chutney

• 1 cup cranberries
• 1/4 seedless orange, cut into chunks
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup orange juice (juice of 1 medium orange)
• 1 tablespoon Balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme, plus sprigs for garnish (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon dried hot pepper flakes
• 1 pound garlic-flavored lamb sausages or other flavorful fresh sausages
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

1. Pulse the cranberries and orange chunks in a food processor until coarsely chopped.

2. Combine the cranberry mixture with the sugar and orange juice in a medium-size saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring, and cook over medium heat until the mixture is thickened, about 10 minutes.

3. Remove from the heat and stir in the vinegar, thyme, and pepper flakes. Transfer to a covered container and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to blend flavors, or for up to 4 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.

4. Prick the sausages with a fork in a couple of places and put them, along with the wine and olive oil, in a large skillet. Cover, bring to a boil, and simmer over medium-low heat, turning once, for 5 minutes. Uncover and cook briskly over high heat until the liquid evaporates. Reduce heat to medium and cook, turning several times, until the sausages are browned on the outside and cooked within, about 8 minutes. (Alternatively, you can simmer the sausages in the liquid and then finish them on the grill.)

5. Cut the sausages into 1/2-inch slices, impale each slice on a toothpick, and pass with the cranberry chutney. Garnish with thyme sprigs, if desired.

from Dishing Up Maine

Yield: 8 servings

Citrus-Glazed Mussels

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 cup finely chopped onion
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 anchovy fillets, coarsely chopped
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• 1/2 teaspoon grated lime zest
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
• 2 pounds mussels, rinsed and debearded if necessary
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
• thin slices of lemon and lime for garnish

To de-beard mussels, pull out the dark threads that protrude from the shell. Do this just before cooking; mussels die when de-bearded.

1. Heat the oil in a medium-sized skillet. Cook the onion in the oil over medium heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and anchovies and cook, mashing the anchovies until they dissolve, for 2 minutes. Stir in the lemon and lime zest and juice and the pepper flakes. (This base can be made a day or so ahead and refrigerated.)

2. Combine the mussels and wine in a large pot. Cover, bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium, and cook until the mussels open, 4 to 10 minutes, depending on size. Remove the mussels from the pot with a slotted spoon and transfer to a serving bowl.

3. Meanwhile, if the citrus sauce has been refrigerated, reheat in a saucepan. Carefully pour the mussel broth into the citrus mixture, leaving behind the last third or so of the liquid, lest it contain any grit.

4. Pour the sauce over the mussels, sprinkle with parsley, garnish with lemon and lime slices, and serve.

from Dishing Up Maine

Yield: 8-10 appetizer servings

Creamy Seafood Casserole with Lemon Crumbs

• 5 tablespoons butter
• 4 tablespoons minced shallots
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup bottled clam juice
• 1 1/2 cups half-and-half
• 1/4 cup sherry, dry or medium-dry
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 pound wild or cultivated mushrooms, sliced
• 1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1/2 pound bay scallops (or sea scallops, quartered)
• 1 cup cooked crabmeat, picked over (1/2 pound)
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• salt and pepper

LEMON CRUMBS

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 1/2 cups fresh breadcrumbs
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon zest

1. To make the sauce, melt 3 T. butter in a medium-large saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Sprinkle on the flour and cook, whisking, for 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in the clam juice, half and half, and sherry. Bring to a boil, whisking, and cook until the sauce is smooth and thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the salt, pepper, and nutmeg.

2. Preheat the oven to 375. Grease a shallow 2 1/2-quart baking dish with butter.

3. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet. Add the mushrooms and cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until they soften and begin to brown slightly, about 5 minutes. Add the shrimp and scallops and cook, stirring frequently, until the shrimp turn pink, about 5 minutes. Gently stir in the crabmeat and lemon juice. Pour the sauce over the seafood, stir to combine, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Scrape into the prepared baking dish.

4. To make Lemon Crumbs, melt the butter in a medium-skillet over medium heat. Add the breadcrumbs and toss until barely colored, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the parsley and lemon zest.

5. Sprinkle the crumbs over the seafood mixture. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until heated through and bubbly and the crumbs are golden.

menu: Trio of Autumn Greens and/or Winter Salad of Oranges, Radishes, and Basil, buttery dinner roles, and Walnut Pie for dessert

from Dishing Up Maine

6-8 servings

Apple Upside-Down Gingerbread

• 2 1/4 cups sifted, unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons ground dried ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 teaspoon Dutch-processed cocoa
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, then cooled to room temperature
• 3/4 cup light unsulphured molasses
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 large egg
• 3 tart baking apples (Granny Smith or Jonathan)

1. Adjust oven rack to center position and heat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, allspice, and cocoa in medium bowl.

3. Beat butter, molasses, sugar, buttermilk, milk, and egg in large bowl of an electric mixer on low speed.

4. Add dry ingredients to liquid; beat on medium speed until batter is smooth and thick, about 1 minute, scraping down sides of bowl with rubber spatula as needed. Do not overmix. (If using the fresh ginger, batter will be lumpy.)

5. For the apple topping: Grease sides of 11-by-7-by-1 1/2-inch metal pan. Pour 4 tablespoons melted unsalted butter into pan; spread 3/4 cup light brown sugar evenly over pan bottom. Peel, halve, core, and slice thin three tart baking apples (Granny Smith or Jonathan). Arrange slices, overlapping slightly upon brown sugar mixture.

6. Working quickly, pour batter over apples.

7. Bake until top springs back when lightly touched, and edges have pulled away from the pan sides, about 50 to 60 minutes.

7. Set pan on wire cake rack and let cool 5 minutes. Invert onto serving plate, cut into squares, and serve. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature. (Gingerbread can be wrapped in plastic wrap, then foil, and refrigerated up to 5 days.)

For stronger ginger flavor, replace the dried ginger with three tablespoons grated peeled fresh ginger root and three tablespoons minced crystallized ginger.

8 servings