The Hungry Hoosier - Scott Hutcheson

There are more than 100 species of maple trees, and one form or another can be found on nearly every continent. However, maple syrup comes from just a handful of varieties.

While production of the syrup is based in Canada and the United States, Scott Hutcheson says the National Maple Syrup Festival can only be found in Indiana.

Maple Balsamic Vinaigrette

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1 teaspoon fresh cilantro, chopped

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons 100% maple syrup

1 tablespoon lime juice

1 clove garlic, minced

1 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

When you think to yourself, "I'm going to have a salad," you probably envision a nice bowl of greens, maybe some vegetables, and a tasty dressing.

But Scott Hutcheson wants you to know a salad comes in many different shapes and sizes.

Apple Snickers Salad

1 cup of milk

1 large tub of Cool Whip, thawed

1 large package of instant vanilla pudding

6 regular sized snickers bars, cut into bite-size pieces

3 medium Granny Smith apples or other tart apple, cut up into small chunks 

Food and faith often go together, just ask Scott Hutcheson, who's had the good fortune of sharing many meals in different fellowship halls and church basements.

"One memorable annual event was the Groundhog Day Dinner featuring Groundhog Loaf! This wasn’t the frugal use of road kill, but rather a clever play-on-words," he says. "The church had several hog farmers in the congregation and someone came up with the idea of serving Ground-hog loaf, aka Ham Loaf."

Groundhog Loaf

2 lb. lean ground ham (grind in a food processor)

1 lb. lean ground pork

1 egg beaten

1/2 cup breadcrumbs

1/2 cup milk

Whole cloves

Brown sugar

In a culture where fast food sometimes isn't fast enough, Scott Hutcheson suggests bucking the trend completely by embracing the "slow food" movement, at least some of the time.

"Spending a few hours in the kitchen on a Saturday or Sunday may seem like a big commitment but the results can really pay off," he says. "Not just for Sunday dinner, but in the leftovers that can be creatively used the next couple of nights."

Beef Bourguignon


2 pounds beef stew meat (2-inch pieces)


2 cups dry red wine


1/4 cup olive oil


1 onion, chopped


2 large onions, chopped


1 clove garlic, chopped


1 bay leaf


2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped


1/2 teaspoon dried thyme


Salt and pepper to taste


Chocolate Gravy

2 cups whole milk
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/3 cup good-quality cocoa

Warm milk in the microwave until it’s steaming, about two minutes on high. Heat butter in a skillet over low heat. Add sugar, flour and cocoa. Slowly pour 1/2 cup of milk into the skillet and whisk well. Add another 1/2 cup and continue whisking, removing any lumps. Whisk in remaining milk, stirring constantly, until mixture is thick. This can take 5 minutes or more.

Makes enough to serve over about a dozen biscuits.

Any leftover gravy can be stored in the refrigerator and eaten like pudding!

Peppermint Cheesecake

Crust     


• 20 vanilla sandwich cookies

• 3 tablespoons melted butter   

Filling


• ½ cup sugar

• 1-1/2 cups sour cream

• 2 eggs

• 2 teaspoons vanilla

• 1 pound cream cheese (room temperature) broken into small pieces

• 2 tablespoons melted butter

• 1 package (10 ounces) Andes Peppermint Crunch Baking Chips

In a food processor pulse the cookies until they are small crumbs. Stir in 3 tablespoons melted butter. Press into the bottom of an eight-inch spring form pan.

Roasted Turkey Stock

Cornbread Dressing

• 6 cups crumbled dried cornbread
• 3 cups crumbled dried white crumbs
• 1-1/2 stick unsalted butter
• 2 cups chopped yellow onion
• 2 cups chopped celery
• 2 tablespoon dried sage
• 1-1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 3 to 4 cups low-salt chicken broth
• Kosher salt and ground black pepper to taste
• ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten

Two days before you are ready to assemble the dressing, spread out the crumbled cornbread and white bread on baking sheets, cover with clean dishtowels and store in a cool dry place where they can dry.

When ready to prepare, preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Spider Web Pizza

This pizza can be made completely from scratch or you can certainly purchase a ready-made crust and sauce from a jar. The most essential component is the mozzarella cream sauce used to make the web and the spiders made of olives and carrots.

Spiders

Roasted Root Vegetables with Rosemary

• 8 carrots, peeled and cut
• 2 russet potatoes, washed and cut
• 2 turnips, peeled, cut
• 2 parsnips, peeled, trimmed and cut
• 2 medium yellow onions, trimmed, peeled and cut
• 1 celery root, trimmed and cut
• 1 whole head garlic, separated into cloves, peeled
• 3 sprigs fresh rosemary
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Note: cut vegetables into bite-sized pieces

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.