Serenbe Style and Soul

with Marie Nygren

Recipe Articles

Tuesday

10

November 2009

0

COMMENTS

Southern Shepard’s Pie

Written by , Posted in marie nygren, Recipe Articles, shepard's pie, sweetwater beer

Here is my version of Shepard’s pie that we served at Les Dames on Sunday. I was so glad everyone enjoyed it.


Filling:
2 T mild Olive Oil
2 lbs. Ground White Turkey Meat
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. tabasco
1 T. flour
1 T. tomato paste
1/4 cup half and half
1/2 cup beer- I used Sweetwater IPA
1 1/2 cup chicken stock
1 T soy sauce
5 pieces of fresh thyme
1 cup cooked butterpeas
2 leeks, white and 2 inches of green, sliced and sauteed in butter
1 cup cooked collards

Topping:
2 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 tsp salt
2 T unsalted butter
1/3 cup half and half
1/2 cup caramelized onions

Heat oil in large pan. Add turkey and brown, stirring often to break up into pieces. Add salt and tabasco. Add flour and tomato paste and cook about 1 minute.
Add cream- cook another minute. Add broth, beer, soy sauce, thyme and simmer over medium heat, stirring often until mixture has thickened, 10-15 minutes.
Remove from heat. Stir in butterpeas, leeks and collards. Taste for seasoning and add more tabasco and salt if needed.
Spoon mixture into 2 quart casserole dish.

In a pot of water, add salt and potatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook 20 minutes until tender. Drain potatoes and return to pot. Mash potatoes and add butter, cream and onions. Season with salt if necessary.

Spread potatoes over filling with spatula. Bake in 375 oven until filling is bubbling.



Monday

2

November 2009

2

COMMENTS

October Recipe Contest Winner

Written by , Posted in Recipe Articles

I am excited to announce our “green bean” recipe winner. Amelia Schaffner sent a delicious recipe for an end of summer green bean salad. In addition to her passion for cooking, she also shared her passion for photography which is seen in this beautiful photo of her salad.



End-of-summer farmer’s salad with green bean bundles

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound green beans

  • 2 ears of fresh corn, cleaned
  • 4 or 5 okras (optional), ends cut off
  • 2 green onions, separated into strands
  • 1/4 red onion, finely sliced
  • A few small tomatoes of various colors (red, yellow, and also green tomatillos), washed and halved
  • 1 banana pepper, seeded and sliced in rounds
  • A small bunch of fresh basil, chopped
  • Salt and pepper, TT

Vinaigrette:

  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive-oil
  • 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 1 clove garlic, peeled and smashed
  • 1 tsp honey

Procedure:

Place a large pot of water to boil with some salt.

When it boils, add the green beans and cook about 7-10 minutes (depending on size). Remove the beans with tongs and place in a bowl of cold water and ice (to preserve crunch and color). Drain and set aside.

Repeat the same procedure for the okra. Drain. When cool, cut in small rounds and set aside.

Repeat the same procedure with the green onions strands (which we will use to tie the green bean bundles)

In the same water pot, cook the corn about 7-10 minutes, until tender but still with a “bite”. Move the corn with tongs to a bowl with cold water and ice. Drain. Using a knife, cut the corn kernels off the corn cobs into a bowl.

Prepare the vinaigrette in a small bowl by whisking the oil into the vinegar, then add the honey, the smashed garlic clove and season with salt and pepper.

In a large bowl, toss 4 tablespoons of the vinaigrette together with the corn kernels, the okra slices, the halved tomatoes, the banana pepper slices, and the basil. Taste and season again if needed.

Meanwhile, take about 10 green beans and tie them in a bundle with the blanched green onions.

To serve place the salad on a plate, in a mound and top with the green bean bundles.


Serves 4.




Monday

26

October 2009

0

COMMENTS

My recipe box

Written by , Posted in inn at serenbe, marie nygren, Recipe Articles

I have received some suggestions that you would like to see all my posted recipes in one place to make them easier to find.

Now you can click on “recipe” in the “Interested in older stories” column to the right to see all recipes  posted on my blog.

Thanks to my readers for the great feedback!

Thursday

22

October 2009

2

COMMENTS

Nathalie’s Arugula and Herb Salad

Written by , Posted in marie nygren, nathalie dupree, Recipe Articles, serenbe, Southern Chef Series

Here is one of the wonderful recipes from Nathalie that we cooked during our Southern Chef Series. I know you will enjoy it as much as we did!
Nathalie Dupree’s Arugula and Herb Salad



    Dressing
  • 1/4 cup sherry vinegar

  • 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
  • Kosher or sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
  • 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil


    Salad

  • 4 dried figs, cherries, or cranberries
  • 1-2 Bosc pears
  • 8 cups wild and/or fresh arugula, baby spinach, Bibb and/or Boston lettuce
  • 1 cup lemon balm leaves, mint, thyme, and/or basil
  • 1 fennel bulb, sliced
  • 1/2 cup toasted pecan pieces (optional)
  • 3/4 cup croutons (optional)
  • 1/2 cup sliced or roughly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese



Whisk vinegar and mustard together; add salt and pepper. Gradually whisk in olive oil until dressing is emulsified. Cut off tough parts of figs and chop into small pieces. Peel and core pears and slice. Add fruit to dressing to soften figs and keep pears from turning color. Toss cleaned and stemmed greens and herbs together and set aside. Just before serving, add dressing to greens gradually, spooning in fruit. Toss until leaves are coated but not soggy. Taste and season with salt and pepper if necessary. Toss well with pecans, croutons, and cheese.

Thursday

8

October 2009

0

COMMENTS

What inspires me to create a recipe

Written by , Posted in butternut squash, marie nygren, Recipe Articles, Serenbe Farmhouse



Recently we had a multitude of butternut squash come out of the farmhouse garden and I wondered what I would do with all of this squash. After thinking about what our dinner guests would enjoy, I decided to try a candied butternut squash.

It amazed me how many people came into the Farmhouse who had never eaten a butternut squash. Once they tasted what we had prepared, the reviews were all the same.



“Wow, the squash is so delicious!”

I love butternut squash because in addition to being delicious it is also very nutritious.
I hope you enjoy my recipe!

Candied Butternut Squash

  • 2 1/4 pound butternut squash; halved, seeded, peeled, and cut into small 1/2″ chunks.

  • 6 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375º. Place squash in a 8 x 8 x 2 inch glass baking dish. Drizzle with butter, toss to coat. Blend sugar and cinnamon, mix into squash.

Bake until squash is tender, about 35-50 minutes depending on freshness of squash.


Monday

28

September 2009

0

COMMENTS

My First Published Recipe

Written by , Posted in "margaret lupo", georgia ledger-enquirer, marie nygren, pecan pie, Recipe Articles

My mother’s sister, Sarah Spano, was the Food Editor for the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer in Columbus, Georgia. Sarah was quite a character, a wonderful lady and a great story teller.
She would come to Atlanta often to visit her sisters who lived here. On one of those visits in 1976, I made a Chocolate Pecan Bourbon Pie for her. Aunt Sarah loved the pie so much that she wrote a story about me and my cooking. At sixteen, I had my first published recipe.

It’s become a favorite dessert at the Inn and will be on the menu at the Farmhouse this weekend. We would love to see you for dinner.
Here is the recipe:
Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie
Combine in a heavy sauce pan:
  • one cup of dark Karo syrup
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
Bring to a rolling boil, stirring steadily, for two minutes.
Remove from heat and add;
  • 3 tbsp. butter
Beat in separate bowl:
  • 3 eggs
Pour hot syrup mixture slowly into eggs, beating with a wire whisk.
Add:
  • 1 cup toasted pecan pieces (see “food byte” on side bar)
  • 1/4 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
  • 1/4 cup bourbon
Pour into unbaked pie shell and bake for 45-50 minutes, until filling is firm. Cool before cutting.

Friday

11

September 2009

2

COMMENTS

New Recipes

Written by , Posted in blueberries, chicken recipes, georgia emc, marie nygren, Recipe Articles, serenbe

Here are a couple of recipes from our wonderful Georgia EMC day. I hope everyone enjoys both the chicken and the blueberry cobbler. The cobbler is one of my favorite recipes from Nathalie Dupree’s cookbooks.




“The beauty of it is that you can use any kind of fruit you like and it is so easy to prepare. Just last week, I made the same cobbler with apples and it was absolutely delicious!”

Baked Chicken stuffed with Goat cheese and Red Pepper Jelly
  • 6 chicken breasts, bone in skin on
  • 8 oz mild goat cheese, softened
  • 1 jar red pepper jelly
  •  ¼ cup olive oil
  • Kosher salt
  • Fresh ground pepper
Preheat oven to 375º. While oven heating, cut a pocket into each breast- 2 inches deep. In a cast iron skillet heat small amount of olive oil on medium heat. Sear each chicken breast for  3 minutes each side. Let cool.
Season each breast with salt and pepper on inside and outside. Stuff desired amount  of goat cheese into the pocket and place in a baking dish.  Top with 1-2 tbsp. of pepper jelly.
Place in oven and bake for 35- 40 minutes.


Blueberry Cobbler
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 cup milk
  • 2 cups blueberries

Preheat oven to 350º. Slice butter, put in baking dish and place in oven until butter is melted. Mix together the dry ingredients then add the milk. Pour batter into melted butter and then scatter the fruit around. Place in oven and bake for 30-45 minutes.

Serves 8.
Enjoy!

Monday

7

September 2009

0

COMMENTS

Tomato, Vidalia Onion and Watercress Salad

Written by , Posted in cooking blog, marie nygren, Recipe Articles, serenbe, Serenbe Farmers Market, tomatoes


If you are looking for a way to enjoy a last blast of your summer tomatoes, this salad recipe makes a lovely addition to your collection.

Tomato, Vidalia Onion and Watercress Salad with Buttermilk Vinaigrette
  • 6 large ripe heirloom tomatoes, sliced
  • 1 large Vidalia onions, thinly sliced
  • 2 bunches watercress
  • 1 buttermilk vinaigrette recipe (see below)
On a platter, scatter the watercress. Lay the tomatoes on watercress and scatter onions across tops of tomatoes. Pour vinaigrette over entire salad.
For the Buttermilk Vinaigrette dressing, I love Frank Stitt’s recipe. He is one of my favorite Southern chefs.
  • 2 tablespoons of white wine vinegar or cider vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice
  • 1/2 shallot, finely minced
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk
  • 1 cup of mayonnaise
  • 2 tablespoons sour cream
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
In a small bowl, combine the vinegar, lemon juice, shallot, and salt and pepper. Slowly whisk in the buttermilk, mayonnaise, and sour cream. Slowly whisk in the olive oil. Taste and adjust the seasoning. (The vinaigrette can be refrigerated for up to 5 days.)

Tuesday

1

September 2009

1

COMMENTS

Bringing Serenbe style to Quinn’s house

Written by , Posted in black bean casserole, marie nygren, Recipe Articles, serenbe


Recently I took my youngest daughter back to school at the University of Colorado-Boulder to set up her first house and kitchen. Quinn has a house on campus with two girlfriends. All three girls invited their mom’s to help them set up.
Upon leaving Atlanta Quinn said to me, “Mom, you are going to bring Serenbe style and soul to this house, aren’t you?” With that I responded, “Of course!!

It was a fast filled two and a half days setting up their house. Luckily one of the girls moms got the kitchen organized with three sets of pans from each girl. It was so evident that the girls liked to cook as each had their own set of cookware, utensils, etc. Probably the best set up kitchen for three college seniors, fully equipped with a Cuisinart, wonderful knives, coffee pots, rice cookers, etc.


The one thing Quinn really wanted was for me to show her how to make her favorite childhood dish that I created when my girls were little. When they were growing up one of their favorite things to eat were black beans and rice. One day it came to me to make a casserole, kind of like a Mexican lasagna. So simple and easy to make and best to make in a Lodge black cast iron skillet which I will tell you more about in my post below this one!

Here is the recipe for my Black Bean Casserole:

  • 12 6″ corn tortillas

  • 1 lb. bag of black beans, cooked or 2 cans black beans (rinsed)
  • 1 4oz. can chopped green chiles
  • 3 cups cooked rice
  • 3/4 lb. pepper or monterey jack shredded cheese
  • 1 1/2 – 2 cups salsa (depending on taste)
  • 1 cup sour cream

Preheat oven to 375º. Mix cooked rice with black beans, salsa, sour cream and green chiles. Using a 12″ Lodge cast iron skillet layer 4 tortillas, then rice mixture, then shredded cheese.

Repeat with remaining tortillas, filling and cheese. You will have a total of three layers. On the top layer add additional salsa. Cook for 15-20 minutes or until cheese is melted.


Thursday

27

August 2009

0

COMMENTS

Atlanta Magazine

Written by , Posted in atlanta magazine, farm to table, grits, inn at serenbe, marie nygren, Recipe Articles, serenbe, The Hil

This month Atlanta magazine is featuring a wonderful farm to table local eating guide which is very exciting for me because it features both the Farmhouse and the Hil restaurant both located in Serenbe.

The Hil is owned and operated by the restaurant’s namesake Chef Hilary White and husband Jim White. The Hil is their vision for a refined, yet informal, neighborhood restaurant, with a dedication to serving simple, farm-fresh cuisine.

The magazine also features two of my recipes that I know you will enjoy! One is for my grits souffle and the other is for a wonderful summer salad with Cucumber, Fennel, Onion and Mint with a delicious Buttermilk Vinaigrette.


“This dish has been a favorite at The Inn at Serenbe since we opened in 1996. It works great for breakfast, a brunch, or even dinner. I love using fresh collards from Serenbe Farms, but kale works well also. The addition of stone-ground grits, we use JennyJack Grits, adds a lovely texture.  And, the beauty of the dish is it can be made the day before.”

Here is my Grits Souffle recipe for you to enjoy.


  • 1 lb. grated sharp chedder cheese or goat cheese
  • 6 farm fresh or free range eggs, lightly whipped
  • 2 cups cooked Jenny Jack grits**
  • 1 cup cooked collards, chopped and drained
  • 2-4 cloves garlic, finely chopped or pressed
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2-4 dashes of tabasco
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix until well blended. Pour into a 9 x 13 casserole dish. Bake in a 350º oven for 35-40 minutes until golden brown.

** Grits
  • 2 cups water
  • 1/2 cup grits
  • Boil water. Add grits and cook 5 minutes

Please click Atlanta Magazine for the summer salad recipe.

Newer Entries →
← Older Entries

About Marie Nygren

MarieNygrenBio-200x300

When people ask me what I do, I tell them I’m the co-founder of the Serenbe community and the Inn at Serenbe. But, the truest Read More...

Subscribe to the blog

Recent Posts

Upcoming Events

  • No Events

Sponsors