ROASTED BEET & FENNEL SALAD
WITH PARMIGIANO REGGIANO

Yield: 4 servings (2 cups each)

4 oz. II Giardino Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
1/4 t. dried rosemary leaves, crushed
1/4 t. coarse-ground black pepper
8 c. baby spinach leaves
4 medium beets, peeled, thinly sliced and roasted (see note)
1 small fennel bulb, thinly sliced
1/2 c. raspberry or balsamic vinaigrette

Preheat oven to 400°F. Using a vegetable peeler, shave cheese into 1-inch-by-2-inch pieces. Carefully place half of the pieces on a parchment paper-lined baking pan. Sprinkle with rosemary and black pepper. Bake 3 to 5 minutes, or until crisp and golden brown around edges. Cool completely before removing from pan. Place spinach, beets and fennel in large bowl. Pour dressing over greens; toss until coated. Place equal amounts of salad onto four plates. Top with remaining shaved Parmigiano Reggiano and tuck the baked Parmigiano Reggiano cheese along edge. Serve immediately. Note: To roast beets, lightly spray beets with olive oil no-stick cooking spray. Sprinkle with 1/4 t. salt and 1/8 t. ground black pepper. Place on a baking pan and bake at 425°F for 20 minutes, or until tender, turning over halfway through baking time.

Recipe and photo credit: DCI Cheese Company (www.dcicheeseco.com)

DUCK CHIPOTLE STUFFED POBLANOS

Yield: Yield: 6 servings of two peppers each

6 (12 oz.) Maple Leaf Farms Duck Leg Quarters, thawed if frozen
1 c. sliced green onions
12 large fresh poblano chile peppers
2 ears fresh corn, husked
2 c. crumbled Chihuahua, queso anejo or shredded Monterrey Jack cheese
1 c. sliced green onions
3 T. puree made from canned chipotle chiles, blended in food processor (store extra puree in fridge up to one month or freezer 6 months)
1-1/2 c. bottled salsa

Heat oven to 350°F. Place duck in shallow roasting pan in a single layer. Cover pan with heavy aluminum foil. Bake 90-105 minutes or until internal temp of duck reaches 180°F. Uncover, and when cool, discard bones and skin and chop meat into 3/4-inch chunks. (Duck may be chilled up to 24 hours before assembling chiles. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes.) Preheat broiler. Place whole poblanos and husked corn on large baking sheet lined with foil. Broil 3 to 4 inches from heat source 15 to 20 minutes or until skin of peppers is evenly blackened and corn begins to brown, turning occasionally. Transfer corn to a cutting board. Wrap peppers in foil; let stand 10 minutes to steam. When cool, cut kernels from cob; transfer to a large bowl. Add duck, cheese, green onions and chipotle chiles to bowl; mix well.

To Assemble: Peel off and discard blackened skin from poblanos. Cut a lengthwise slit down one side of each pepper (do not cut in half). Carefully open poblanos and discard seeds and membranes. Stuff whole peeled poblanos with duck mixture; transfer to two large shallow baking dishes. Cover dishes with foil. (Poblanos may be chilled up to 8 hours before baking. Add 5 minutes to baking time if cold.) Bake in 375°F oven 25 minutes or until hot. Serve with salsa.astic wrap.

Recipe and photo credit: Maple Leaf Farms Ducks (www.mapleleaffarms.com)

HONEY GRILLED TURKEY TENDERS WITH PEANUT SAUCE

Yield: 4 servings

Peanut Sauce:
1-1/2 c. turkey broth
1 c. smooth peanut butter
2 t. sesame oil
2 t. soy sauce
2 t. fresh lemon juice
1/4 t. ground ginger
1/4 t. ground black pepper
2 green onions, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced

Turkey & Marinade:
1/2 c. soy sauce
1/4 c. rice vinegar
2 T. honey
2 t. ground coriander
1/2 t. ground black pepper
1/2 t. crushed red pepper flakes
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 lbs. turkey tenders (boneless, skinless and cut in 8-oz. portions)

Peanut Sauce: Combine broth and peanut butter; whisk to blend. Stir in remaining ingredients and mix well. Cover and let mixture stand for at least 1 hour for flavors to blend. (May be stored in refrigerator for up to 2 days). Serve peanut sauce with turkey tenders.

Turkey & Marinade: Combine all marinade ingredients in a bowl or in a resealable plastic bag. Add turkey tenders and marinate, refrigerated for several hours. Grilling: Remove tenders from marinade and discard marinade. Allow tenders to slightly drain. Grill turkey tenders, by the indirect grilling method, until cooked through to an internal temperature of 170°F, turning the tenders so all sides receive grill marks.

Recipe credit: Chef Guy DeSerio, The Machine Shed Restaurant in Des Moines, Iowa; Photo: The National Turkey Federation (www.eatturkey.com)