Celery Root Puree
Serves 8

4 cups Straus Organic Whole Milk
4 cups water
2 tablespoons coarse sea salt
2 pounds celery root, peeled and cut into 8 pieces
1 pound Yukon Gold Potatoes, peeled and cut in half
6 tbsps. Straus Organic Unsalted Butter, softened
salt and freshly ground white pepper

1. Place the milk, water, salt, celery root and potatoes in a saucepan; bring to a boil. Lower the heat; simmer until the vegetables are very tender, 20 to 25 minutes; drain and return them to the pan.

2. Place the pan over low heat to cook off excess moisture; transfer the vegetables to a food processor. Add the butter, then puree until just smooth and creamy. Season with salt and pepper. Keep warm.

Cheese Bread Pudding
by Emory Davis

This would be a great holiday breakfast or a side dish at dinner.

2 cups stale bread, cubed
1/2 pound cheddar cheese (Medium or Sharp)
1-1/2 cups Straus Milk (any variety)
3 eggs beaten
1/4 cup Straus Butter, melted (salted or unsalted)
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Butter a 1-quart ROUND baking dish. Layer half the bread cubes in the dish. Sprinkle with half the cheese. Repeat with remaining bread cubes and cheese.

Beat remaining ingredients together and pour over bread and cheese. Let stand one hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place baking dish in a 9"x13" pan and pour water into pan to a depth of one inch. Place pans in oven and bake one hour. Pudding should be puffy and golden.

Chive Mashed Potatoes

Serves 4

2 lbs. potatoes, peeled,washed and cut into quarters (Yukon Gold or Russet are best.)
1/2 cube sweet or salted Straus Butter
3/4 - 1 cup Straus Milk (any variety)
1/2 cup chives, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Place the potatoes and a pinch of salt in a large pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to allow to simmer for 18-20 minutes or until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork.

Drain the potatoes and return to the pot. Over low heat, add in the butter and stir until melted. Whisk in the milk and season with salt and pepper. Serve hot. Garnish with chives.

Use leftovers and make a delicious Pancake. When potatoes are cool, form into round cakes, 12 inch thick. Over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon butter and cook pancakes until golden, approximately 2 minutes on each side. Serve hot and garnish with chives and blossoms.

Spinach and Chickpeas with Yogurt Sauce
by Cecily Yeager
Makes 5 Cups or 2-3 large servings

A 2004 Straus Recipe Contest winner.

We loved the combination of colorful vegetables and the various ingredients in this dish. Plus we've always thought that spinach matched perfectly with our yogurt. This vegetarian dish made a great side with anything...or just on its own. We liked it a lot!

1/3 tbsp. olive oil
1 large red bell pepper
6 oz. mushrooms
12 oz. spinach
2/3 cup Straus Nonfat Plain Yogurt
2 cloves garlic
2 tsp. of your favorite Italian herbs (thyme, oregano, etc.)
1-1/2 cups chickpeas (i.e. garbanzo beans)
1/2 cup water
2 tbsp. lemon juice

In a small bowl, mix garlic, yogurt, herbs and lemon juice. Stir and set aside.

Chop the pepper and the spinach. In a medium pot, saute the pepper in oil for 3 minutes. Add mushrooms (and water, if needed, to prevent sticking). Let simmer until mushrooms are almost cooked. Add beans and spinach, stir to mix. Cook until spinach is just wilted. Set aside to cool for a bit, and then stir in the yogurt. Serve warm.

Tomato Cheese Souffles
Makes 8 servings

8 medium tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup Straus Butter (salted or unsalted)
1-1/2 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup Straus Milk (any variety)
1/2 teaspoon dried leaf tarragon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
3/4 cup (3 ounces) grated cheddar cheese (medium or sharp)
3 eggs, separated

Wash tomatoes, dry and cut a thin slick off stem end. Scoop out pulp with a spoon, leaving a shell 1/2 inch thick. (Reserve pulp for sauces, soups or stews.) Sprinkle inside of tomato with salt, invert and drain 30 minutes. Melt butter in a large saucepan; blend in flour and stir over heat for 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in milk; cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly, until sauce thickens. Remove from heat and stir in tarragon, salt, hot pepper sauce and cheese. Beat in the egg yolks, one at a time. Beat egg whites until stiff but not dry. Add about 1/3 of the egg whites to the cheese sauce and mix lightly but not thoroughly. Gently fold in remaining egg whites. Spoon mixture into the tomatoes, filling them to the top. Place on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake in a 375 degree oven for 25 to 20 minutes.

Tzatziki

This is a Greek recipe, shared by Jacqui McGrath. Thanks Jacqui!

Tazatziki can be a wonderful side to a meat dish or can be served as a dip with crackers or pita bread.

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
1 cup Straus Organic Whole or Nonfat Plain Yogurt
salt to taste (start with a pinch)
1 medium cucumber, peeled and deseeded and finely diced, or coarsely grated
1-1/2 tablespoon freshly chopped mint or 1/2 teaspoon dried mint.

Beat oil, vinegar and garlic lightly in a bowl using a fork. Add the yogurt and salt and beat lightly until well mixed and smooth. Mix in the cucumber and mint. Chill until ready to eat.