“Roasted & Toasted” Seasonal Spreads Recipes

This past week, my sister-in-law, Lindsay, and I teamed up to offer Goodlands’ first ever cocktail & mocktail making class in our kitchen space. Lindsay designed three cocktails featuring a splash of Goodlands hot sauce each – the whiskey sour (with lemon love), a margarita (with orange habanero), and a fresh, herbal vodka lime (with spicy basil). Participants muddled, mixed, and experimented with their own drinks over the course of two hours.

The class was a blast (-I’m sure we’ll do it again), and of course, we had to provide snacks. As a self-proclaimed ‘breads and spreads’ gal, I whipped up three seasonal spreads to go with a cheese and crackers plate — recipes below.

Sundried tomato miso butter

I love this bright orange, super savory spread. I make this for myself at home when I want a comforting spread at arms-reach that whips up in just a few minutes. I prefer the bright and chewy sundried tomatoes you can find packed loose in the refrigerated section at H Mart (or in these parts, Produce Junction); they have the best savory flavor of any supermarket sundried tomato I’ve tried, and I think taste more fresh than oil-packed sundried tomatoes.

115g unsalted butter (1 stick), chilled, divided in two halves
2 cloves garlic, grated
115g sundried tomatoes (approx. ½ cup), chopped
1-2 tbsp water
1 tbsp miso
Salt, to taste

Melt ½ of the butter gently in a small saucepan on the stove. When the butter is melted, add the grated garlic and saute gently for about 1 minute. Add the chopped sundried tomatoes and stir for 2-3 minutes until plumped. Add 1-2 tbsp water and the miso paste, and blend as finely as possible. You can use a handheld immersion blender for this, or something like a ninja or bullet blender. The sauce should still be warm – add the rest of your (cold) butter in now, 1 tbsp at a time, blending with each addition. The result should be a creamy, bright orange, and super savory spread. Season with salt to-taste. If you’re particular about texture, you could pass this through a sieve or strainer, but I generally enjoy it as-is. Store in the refrigerator. Spreadable cold, but best at room temperature or slightly warm.

Concord grape & rosemary jam

This autumnal jam is lovely on toast and equally at home on a cheeseboard. We served this at our class with a wedge of raclette-style cheese from Birchrun Hills Farm, and it was divine.

350g concord grapes
350g sugar
1-2 lemons
few pinches dried rosemary, or one fresh sprig

For this jam you’ll use equal weights fruit and sugar, so you can adjust the amounts depending on your quantity of grapes. Rinse your grapes and combine with sugar in a small saucepan, and let warm up and bubble on medium heat, stirring occasionally until the grapes have broken down and your sauce is a deep and vibrant purple. Let simmer and thicken. To test if it’s thick enough, dip a teaspoon into your jam to coat the spoon, and draw a line through the jam with your finger. If the jam fills back in over the line, your jam needs more time; if the drawn line holds, your jam is a good consistency. Stir in your rosemary and let sit for several minutes, tasting until you like the amount of rosemary in your jam (-just a hint). Squeeze in fresh lemon juice until your jam tastes balanced and not overly sweet, and then pass your jam through a sieve, mill, or strainer for a lovely smooth consistency. (Straining out the rosemary at this stage also ensures that the rosemary flavor doesn’t continue to infuse. If you want the flavor to deepen, leave your rosemary in.) Store in the refrigerator.

Charred scallion, corn, and basil butter

This dip is admittedly one of my favorite things to bring to a potluck or birthday party, as sweet corn is always a crowd pleaser. Play around with the flavors, but also know that if you reduce this recipe to just corn, butter, and salt, it is perfect.

1 bunch scallions, divided in half
6 ears fresh sweet corn
1 bunch fresh basil
115g / 1 stick unsalted butter, chilled, divided in two halves

Rough chop half of your scallions in 3-4” segments. Heat a cast iron skillet as hot as possible, and toss in the segments of scallions. Reduce heat to medium, cover halfway, and let your scallions slowly caramelize and eventually char, turning occasionally for even cooking. You’ll want to see about 3/4 caramelized and 1/4 still green after a few minutes of cooking.

Finely chop your remaining (fresh) scallions and put to the side. Once the scallions on the stove are thoroughly charred and/or caramelized, also put these to the side.

Shuck your corn, break each ear in half, and shave the kernels. You should have 2-3 cups fresh kernels. 

In a small saucepan, melt half of your butter over medium heat. When it’s fully melted, add your fresh corn kernels, stirring them to fully incorporate into the butter. After 3-4 minutes gentle cooking, blend the corn/butter mixture with a handheld immersion blender in the pan, or transfer to a small blender to blend as thoroughly as possible.

Tear your basil leaves and add into the mixture, along with the charred scallions and fresh scallions, blending as finely as possible.

Add your remaining chilled butter, blending in 1 tbsp at a time. You should end up with a creamy and textured dip. Season to taste. Store in the refrigerator.