HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! As the calendar turns over, and with all the ups and downs of 2020, here at GROW we have a lot to be thankful for and a lot to look forward to. That being said, with the restaurant closed for the winter months, we’ve spent a bit of our off-time launching a blog!
Guests occasionally ask us for recipes of their favorite GROW dishes. While some chefs are hesitant to give away their ‘secrets’, I always take it as a huge compliment. Someone wants to make my food at home? What?! So, that’ll be one aspect of the blog. We’ll be sharing the inspiration and recipes behind a lot of our favorite dishes.
Some inquiring minds instead ask about behind-the-scenes operations at a restaurant. The goings-on in our business can be a mystery to even the most frequent diners. Another aspect of the blog will be our meanderings on the restaurant business. It’s fun (and humbling) to look back on the lessons we’ve learned.
And, of course, we love our little lakeside community and want to showcase everything it has to offer. So, you’ll also find posts about our friends and neighbors: what they’re up to and how integral everyone is in making Saugatuck and the surrounding area a truly magical place.
We are so fortunate to be heading into our 6th season. And, we couldn’t be more grateful for our loyal guests that make it happen. From the bottom of our hungry hearts, thank you.
Our inaugural post is a recipe that is near and dear to us…pierogi. If I could make pierogi all the time, I would. But, there’s a reason it’s the food of Polish grandmas: they are dumplings of love. It takes time and care, but it’s worth it. With each dumpling, I like to imagine who might be enjoying it. Cheesy, I know, but it’s actually true.
SWEET POTATO + SAUSAGE PIEROGI
Pierogi 101
Ubiquitous in Eastern European homes and kitchens, you may or may not have stumbled across these little dumplings. Put simply, pierogi-making is wrapping delicious filling into warm little bites. In my Polish family (my maiden name Wyrembelski translates to 'man who chops wood', a lineage of lumberjacks), pierogi are often associated with winter gatherings, and can be sweet or savory. Let’s do it.
1. Making the Dough
Mix all ingredients into a bowl. Wrap with plastic and hold in your fridge for an hour. Once set, take small pieces of dough and roll out until VERY thin on a floured surface. If you find it hard to roll, keep flouring your surface. And your dough. And your rolling pin. Once at the desired thinness, use a round cookie cutter to punch out circles. Stack these to the side making sure to flour between to keep from sticking. Keep these covered until ready to fill.
2. Making the Filling
The pie's the limit with filling. Here’s my personal favorite: sweet potato and sausage.
POTATOES - Place peeled and diced potatoes in a stockpot filled with water and boil until soft. Drain water and immersion blend until smooth.
SAUSAGE - In a large pan, slowly sauté butter, onion, garlic, jalapeños, maple syrup, herbs and spices until the butter is melted. Add raw pork to the mixture and cook in the same pan until the temperature reaches 165 F.
Add the cooked sausage to the potato puree (fat and all) and mix. Cool in a shallow pan.
3. Stuff the Pierogi
Lay out your dough circles on a flat surface. I recommend doing about 8 at a time, but whatever your space allows is fine. Spoon a dollop of filling in middle of round (it’s less than you think). Fold dough in half around the filling, creating half moons, and pinch all the edges together. I like to keep the pierogi fairly flat, if it’s too bulbous, there is risk of it not heating up all the way in the middle.
As you finish each round, lay the dumplings out on a flat tray. Freeze, bag and give away to only your favorite friends and family, or just keep them all for yourself!
To cook the raw pierogi, either boil, or pan fry with butter until golden brown.
Top with your choice of accoutrement, my favorite is Cultured Love's jalapeño kraut out of Zeeland, MI. Not only is the kraut deliciously spicy and tangy, but the deep purple compliments the bright orange of the pierogi so perfectly.
Here are the ingredients you’ll need:
Dough
2 1/4 cups of flour
1 tablespoon of salt
1 tablespoon of butter
1 1/2 cups of yogurt
1 egg + 1 extra yolk
1 tablespoon of oil
Filling
1 pound ground pork
1/2 cup of maple syrup
2 sweet potatoes
1 small onion
4 cloves of garlic
1 stick of butter
1/2 cup of cilantro
1 tablespoon of dried chili flakes
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
1 tablespoon of thyme
1 tablespoon of cumin
1 tablespoon of paprika