whole, allowing your guests to savor the drama, then slice everyone a wedge and toast to this new way to enjoy buffalo bliss.
★ Barney’s Market
10 N. Thompson St. | New Buffalo, MI
I’m pretty sure I cleared Barney’s Market of cauliflower several days in a row while I developed this delicious vision into an actual recipe—but oh, my friends, it was worth it! This local grocery store has an excellent variety of products, whether you’re making a simple roast chicken dinner or need to pick up a unique spice for a more exotic recipe.
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42 IMPRESS YOUR GUESTS
Whole Roasted Buffalo Cauliflower with Bacon Potato Chip Crumble
4–8 craveable servings 30 min active time 1 hr 35 min start to finish
BacoN aNd cauliflower
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for brushing baking sheets
6–8 pieces thick-cut bacon, uncured if available
1 medium head cauliflower
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
Batter
1 cup gluten-free all-purpose flourwithout xanthan gum or regular all-purpose flour (I use King Arthur All-Purpose Gluten-Free Flour or Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free All-Purpose Baking Flour.)
1 teaspoon onion powder or garlic powder
teaspoon kosher salt
teaspoon baking powder
teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
teaspoon ground white pepper
cup water
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons favorite wing sauce
cup almond milk or milk of choice, plus more as needed to create desired consistency for batter
toppiNG
cup favorite BBQ sauce
2 tablespoons buffalo wing sauce
1 cup kettle-style BBQ potato chips
cup shredded Cheddar goat cheese or Cheddar of choice
cup finely chopped green onions
teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Prep Place the oven rack in the center position of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line two baking sheets with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Brush one sheet liberally with olive oil. Line a large plate with two layers of paper towels. Set aside.
Cook the Bacon Place the bacon strips in a single layer on the lined baking sheet without oil and bake until crisp, 20 to 25 minutes, depending on the thickness of the bacon. Transfer the bacon in a single layer to the prepared plate to cool.
Prep and Roast the Cauliflower Raise the oven heat to 450°F. Using a large chef’s knife, remove any leaves from the cauliflower head. Turn the head upside down and slice off the stem, slicing flush with the bottom of the cauliflower so it sits flat when right side up. Place on the oiled baking sheet and driz-zle 1 tablespoon of the olive oil on the head, then turn over and drizzle the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil on the bottom. Sprinkle inside and out with the salt. Place the cauliflower head right side up in the center of the baking sheet and roast in the oven for 30 minutes.
Prepare the Batter While the cauliflower roasts, in a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, onion powder, salt, baking powder, cayenne, and white pepper. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the water, olive oil, and wing sauce. Add the milk to the wing sauce mixture and whisk to fully combine. Pour three-quarters of the liquid mixture into the bowl with the flour mixture and whisk until smooth, adding the remaining liquid as necessary to achieve a medium-thick consistency.
Batter the Cauliflower Use two forks to turn the cauliflower head upside down and dip it in the batter, covering only the dome of the cauliflower head, not the bottom or inside. Press the head into the batter using the forks. (It’s hot!) Return the cauliflower to the baking sheet, stem side down, and bake for another 15 minutes, or until the batter is hardened and golden.
Prepare the Topping In a small bowl, combine the BBQ sauce and buffalo wing sauce, then set aside. Finely chop the cooked bacon, then set aside. Place the potato chips in a bag. Use a rolling pin or can to crush finely. In a medium bowl, toss together the bacon pieces, potato chips, shredded cheese, green onions, and pepper until all the ingredients are finely crushed.
Brush with the Sauce and Broil Remove the cauliflower from the oven and use the basting brush to generously coat the entire battered area with about half of the buffalo and BBQ sauce mixture. Return to the oven for 5 minutes, or until the sauce is sticky. Remove the cauliflower from the oven. Set the oven to broil. Use your hands to press the potato chip mixture all over the cauliflower head. Return the cauliflower to the oven and broil for 3 to 4 minutes, watching carefully to ensure it doesn’t burn. Remove from the oven for the final time and use two forks to move to a serving platter.
Let’s Eat! Cut this beautiful wonder into 4 wedges if this is the entrée, or 6 to 8 wedges if this is a side dish. Serve with a side of the BBQ buffalo wing sauce.
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Fall for All and All for Squash
D
it’s difficult to resist preparing squash in some form most
nights of the week, especially when you live just nine miles from
Dinges’ Fall
Harvest
. All summer long, we ride our bikes by the Dinges family’s magical won-
derland in Three Oaks, Michigan, waiting for pumpkin season to begin!
After about a month into our first fall in Harbor Country, however, David was suf-fering from squash fatigue, so I put on my apron and got to work. My kitchen was also well stocked with u-pick autumn apples, and I started using them in savory dishes because it turns out apple pie burnout does exist.
Roasted acorn squash is a dinner party host’s best friend because it requires mini-mal effort but always manages to look beautifully dramatic on the plate. Stuff each little squash bowl with freshly picked apples caramelized in rich bacon goodness. Top them with shreds of your favorite cheese as you sink into the coziness of autumn at the lake.
This dish makes a hearty vegetable-forward dinner entrée, or you can cut the squash into quarters once roasted and serve as a side dish. The savory, sweet flavors also make this recipe a favorite with the brunch bunch. Spicy Bloody, anyone?
1 Dinges’ Fall Harvest
15219 Mill Rd. | Three Oaks, MI
Dinges’ Fall Harvest has piles of pumpkins, farm animals, and u-pick grapes along with an amazing variety of squash. For u-pick apples I head to the lovely Springhope Farm.
2 Springhope Farm
18720 Cleveland Ave. | Galien,