The Hungry Hoosier - Scott Hutcheson

There are more than 100 species of maple trees, and one form or another can be found on nearly every continent. However, maple syrup comes from just a handful of varieties.

While production of the syrup is based in Canada and the United States, Scott Hutcheson says the National Maple Syrup Festival can only be found in Indiana.

Maple Balsamic Vinaigrette

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1 teaspoon fresh cilantro, chopped

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons 100% maple syrup

When you think to yourself, "I'm going to have a salad," you probably envision a nice bowl of greens, maybe some vegetables, and a tasty dressing.

But Scott Hutcheson wants you to know a salad comes in many different shapes and sizes.

Apple Snickers Salad

1 cup of milk

1 large tub of Cool Whip, thawed

1 large package of instant vanilla pudding

6 regular sized snickers bars, cut into bite-size pieces

3 medium Granny Smith apples or other tart apple, cut up into small chunks 

Food and faith often go together, just ask Scott Hutcheson, who's had the good fortune of sharing many meals in different fellowship halls and church basements.

"One memorable annual event was the Groundhog Day Dinner featuring Groundhog Loaf! This wasn’t the frugal use of road kill, but rather a clever play-on-words," he says. "The church had several hog farmers in the congregation and someone came up with the idea of serving Ground-hog loaf, aka Ham Loaf."

Groundhog Loaf

2 lb. lean ground ham (grind in a food processor)

In a culture where fast food sometimes isn't fast enough, Scott Hutcheson suggests bucking the trend completely by embracing the "slow food" movement, at least some of the time.

"Spending a few hours in the kitchen on a Saturday or Sunday may seem like a big commitment but the results can really pay off," he says. "Not just for Sunday dinner, but in the leftovers that can be creatively used the next couple of nights."

Beef Bourguignon


2 pounds beef stew meat (2-inch pieces)


2 cups dry red wine


1/4 cup olive oil


Chocolate Gravy

2 cups whole milk
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/3 cup good-quality cocoa

Warm milk in the microwave until it’s steaming, about two minutes on high. Heat butter in a skillet over low heat. Add sugar, flour and cocoa. Slowly pour 1/2 cup of milk into the skillet and whisk well. Add another 1/2 cup and continue whisking, removing any lumps. Whisk in remaining milk, stirring constantly, until mixture is thick. This can take 5 minutes or more.

Peppermint Cheesecake

Crust     


• 20 vanilla sandwich cookies



• 3 tablespoons melted butter   

Filling


Roasted Turkey Stock

Cornbread Dressing

Spider Web Pizza

This pizza can be made completely from scratch or you can certainly purchase a ready-made crust and sauce from a jar. The most essential component is the mozzarella cream sauce used to make the web and the spiders made of olives and carrots.

Spiders

Roasted Root Vegetables with Rosemary

• 8 carrots, peeled and cut


• 2 russet potatoes, washed and cut


• 2 turnips, peeled, cut


• 2 parsnips, peeled, trimmed and cut


• 2 medium yellow onions, trimmed, peeled and cut


• 1 celery root, trimmed and cut


• 1 whole head garlic, separated into cloves, peeled


• 3 sprigs fresh rosemary


• Extra virgin olive oil


• Kosher salt


• Freshly ground black pepper