Your Vermont Super Bowl Playbook

Date: 02.03.2010 | Category: Real Food

by FarmPlate

Whether you’re a Saints fan, a Colts fan or are just watching the game for the commercials, you can score big at your Super Bowl party with an all-Vermont strategy. Outside of the avocados in the guac (Americans will consume eight million pounds of it this Sunday!), it’s easy to assemble a feast produced almost entirely with Vermont-made ingredients. Some home-field favorites include:

· Nachos topped with Cabot’s Habanero, Chipotle or Seriously Sharp Cheddar

· Grilled (or roasted) wings mopped with Greene’s Gourmet Texas Chipotle Hot Sauce

· A mugful of Cheddar-Ale Soup—check out our recipe below

· For the Saints fans in the crowd, sandwiches made with Karen’s Muffalletta, Harrington’s ham and Maplebrook Farm’s Cherry Wood Smoked Mozzarella. Don’t forget the Rick’s Picks Smokra pickles to serve alongside—you can find them at the Woodstock Farmers’ Market.

· For the Colts fans, try a plateful of Dakin Farm’s Beer Bratwurst and Flack Family Farm Sauerkraut

· Round out the meal with super-easy and delicious brownies made with King Arthur Flour’s Fabulous Fudge Brownie Mix

· You’ll need a growler (or two) of cold Vermont beer: Otter Creek’s new Solstice Session Ale, with its lower alcohol content (4%), is ideal for a Super Sunday gathering.

Vermont Cheddar-Ale Soup for a Crowd
from the FarmPlate Kitchen
Once you have all the ingredients prepped and ready to add to the pot, this soup is very easy to make.

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large sweet onion, minced
2 red bell peppers, seeded and cut into tiny dice
½ cup flour
1 teaspoon mustard powder
1 or 2 dashes of cayenne pepper
1 bottle of your favorite Vermont ale
5 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
2 cups water
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1½ cups grated Vermont Cheddar cheese
½ cup grated Monterey jack cheese
1 tablespoon Vermont maple syrup
Freshly ground white or black pepper
Chopped fresh parsley for garnish
Olivia’s Parmesan Pepper Croutons (optional)

Melt the butter in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add the onions and peppers and cook until soft, about 7 minutes. Add the flour, mustard powder and cayenne and cook for another minute or two. Slowly whisk in the ale, broth and water and bring to a simmer. Whisk in the Parmesan then reduce the heat to very low. Add the Cheddar and jack cheeses slowly, whisking constantly. When all the cheese has been added, whisk the soup until all the cheese is incorporated, about 2 minutes. Stir in the maple syrup and a generous grinding of pepper. Turn off the heat and let the soup stand for 5 minutes. Ladle into mugs or small soup bowls and top with parsley and the croutons, if desired.

Serves 8 to 10

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