Ingredients:
12 oz of Ma Baensch Herring in Sour Cream & Chives
12 oz of water
1 cup of finely shredded cheese of your choice, (i.e. cheddar, mozzarella or feta)
3 tbsp of tabasco sauce*
Black Pepper to taste
10 oz can of organic tomato condensed soup
2 cups of milk (or water)
*Dice hot or mild ualapeño peppers also punt this chowder chowder up a notch for Packer fans during football season.

Steps
– Using 12 oz jar of Ma Baensch Herring, set aside herring tidbits and dice them into small pieces.
– In a medium saucepan, simmer chopped herring until thoroughly cooked, then add in remaining onions and herring cream sauce.
– Continue to heat and stir until it comes to a light boil, then add in 12 oz of water and about 1 cup of finely shredded cheese of your choice. Stir continually until cheese is melted, then add in tabasco sauce*, as well as black pepper to tase.
– Finally, add can of organic tomato condensed soup plus another 2 cups of milk (or water), and continue to heat over medium heat while stirring until chowder is hot.

(Serves 3-4)

Bloody Mary
3 ounces cold Clamato Juice
2 ounces Rehorst Vodka or Gin
½ t Worcestershire sauce
½ t olive juice
1 T fresh lemon juice
1 T fresh lime juice
2 t horseradish
½ t hot sauce, optional or to taste
Dash of celery salt

Garnish
2 – pieces Ma Baensch Herring
3 – Glorioso’s Sicilian Green Pitted Olives stuffed with Ma Baensch Herring, see separate recipe
1 – slice Usinger’s Applewood Smoked Bacon, baked on skewer, see separate recipe
1 – Usinger’s Hickory Stick
Fresh ground black pepper to taste.

In a cold pint glass filled with ice in order given add all cocktail ingredients. Cap the glass with a stainless steel cocktail shaker and shake vigorously for 10 seconds. Pour the drink and ice into a pint glass. (Alternative: stir well with bar spoon in original glass). Insert bacon skewer and hickory slice. Alternately spear a Ma Baensch herring stuffed olive, a piece of Ma Baensch herring, olive, herring and olive. Lay skewer across top of the glass. Finish with fresh ground black pepper.

Baked Bacon Skewers
1 pound bacon
wood skewers, soaked in water so it will not burn
aluminum foil
1 to 2 baking sheets
metal cooling rack
tongs
paper towels
platter

Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Line a baking sheet(s) with foil (this makes clean-up easier). Set metal cooling rack over the foil-lined baking sheet. Weave strips of raw bacon on skewer like ribbon candy and lay the completed skewers over the cooling rack. Elevating the bacon allows it to cook from all sides and become extra-crispy.

The bacon can be close together, but don’t let it overlap or the bacon will stick during cooking. If necessary, use a second baking sheet.

Place the baking sheet of bacon in the oven and bake until the bacon is deep golden-brown and crispy, 15 to 20 minutes. Exact baking time will depend on the thickness of the bacon and how crispy you like it. Begin checking around 12 minutes to monitor how quickly the bacon is cooking. The bacon fat will sputter and bubble as the bacon cooks, but shouldn’t splatter the way it does on the stove top. Pour off the bacon grease as needed so the bacon isn’t totally submerged in grease.

Remove the bacon from the oven and use tongs to transfer it to a paper-lined platter to drain and finish crisping. Refrigerate bacon to chill for your drink.

Refrigerated bacon will keep for a week in a sealed container or zip lock bag or freeze it for up to three months.

Ingredients
4 Cups Arugula
1 12oz jar of Ma Baensch Marinated Herring—Original Recipe
½ Cup White Wine Marinade from Herring
2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
½ Teaspoon Cracked Black Pepper
1 Teaspoon Fresh Chive, Chopped

To Assemble
Place arugula in a large mixing bowl. Drizzle with marinade and olive oil.Hand toss until well mixed. Put on service platter. Top arugula salad with herring and sprinkle with pepper and fresh chives. Eat. Repeat as necessary.

Makes 36 boats with extra herring for sampling during preparation.

Ingredients

1 – 12 ounce jar Ma Baensch Marinated Herring—Original Recipe, drained

4 ounces Mascarpone Cheese, softened

5 ounces Chevre, Fresh Goat Cheese, softened

3 slices Fresh Pineapple

16 ounces Mini Tri-Colored Sweet Peppers (approximately 18 peppers), rinsed and dried

1 ounce Zesty Micro Greens

Instructions
-Drain herring in colander, remove onions, slice each piece in half and place on plate with paper towels underneath to drain. Cover with an additional paper towel and set aside in refrigerator.
-Cream together Mascarpone and goat cheese, when blended well store in refrigerator.
-Core pineapple slices and cut each into 12 wedges. Place pineapple wedges on plate with paper towels underneath to drain. Cover with an additional paper towel and set aside in refrigerator.
-Slice each pepper in half, take care when slicing to make sure the halves can balance properly. Gently remove core and seeds leaving green stem intact.

To Assemble
Spoon small amount of cheese mixture into the middle of each pepper boat. Place a pineapple wedge nearest the stem of the boat, wide end of wedge toward bottom of boat. Place a small amount of micro greens on top of cheese mixture. Lay herring slice, silver side up, over greens toward the other end of the boat.

Arrange completed boats in single layer on glass platter, cover and refrigerate until serving. You may want to assemble boats on the serving platter so you will not need to move them.

Fresh Grilled Vegetable
When firing up the grill, don’t forget the herring! Grill asparagus, snap peas or colorful greenhouse bell peppers. Add some olive oil and toss on a platter with strips of marinated herring for a fresh and flavorful side dish.

Salad
Marinated herring pairs well with a variety of green salads. Toss together fresh salad greens, baby carrots, greenhouse cucumbers, tomatoes and green onions. Top with marinated herring in sour cream and chives for a healthy and satisfying twist on the typical salad.

Roasted Vegetables
The flavorful taste of fresh roasted vegetables and herbs creates a culinary sensation when paired with marinated herring. Beets, kohlrabi, zucchini, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and eggplant are all available now. Serve roasted and topped with marinated herring for a refreshing summer supper.

Swiss Chard
Begin by cooking diced bacon. Once it is nice and crispy, dice the Swiss chard stems and add them to the bacon. After a few minutes, add sliced or torn Swiss chard to the mixture. Stir fry with a splash of cider vinegar and maple syrup until the chard is cooked to your liking. Place on a platter and top with marinated herring. Yum!

Flatbread
Pickled herring is often infused with onions, which is why the two foods complement each other so well. Slice up some red onions and evenly scatter them over pickled herring on a serving platter. Top with freshly chopped chives and serve with flatbread for a summer twist on cannibal sandwiches.

Ingredients
Ma’s Herring and Green Olive Spread, variation of your choice, adjust the amount of the spread you prepare depending on how many olives you wish to stuff.

1 – 10 oz. jar green queen olives (approximately 28 olives)

Instructions
Drain the desired amount of olives well in a colander, discard liquid. Using a toothpick, carefully remove pimiento from each olive. If you wish, reserve pimiento for another use, otherwise discard. Continue to drain olives.

Spoon Ma’s Herring and Green Olive Spread into a cookie press, pastry bag or plastic baggie with the corner cut out. Individually pipe spread into each olive. You may have a bit of herring spread protruding from the top of the olive.

Store refrigerated in an air tight container or glass jar.

Serve alone as a hors d’oeuvre or serve in one of the Ma Baensch Holiday Herring Cocktails: Baensch Press, Ma’s Martini or Ma’s Bloody Mary.

Ingredients

1 -12 oz. jar Ma Baensch Marinated Herring—Original Recipe (approximately 24 pieces)
1 – 10 oz. jar green queen olives (approximately 28 olives)

Instructions
Drain the desired amount of olives well in a colander, discard liquid. Using a toothpick, carefully remove pimiento from each olive. If you wish, reserve pimiento for another use, otherwise discard. Continue to drain olives.

You will need one piece of herring for every four olives. Drain desired amount of herring well in a colander, discard wine sauce. Sort through herring pieces, removing and discarding onion slices. Continue to drain herring.

With a sharp knife carefully slice each herring piece vertically into four equal slices. Stuff herring slice into olive with the narrow end going in first. You may have a bit of herring protruding from the top of the olive.

Store refrigerated in an air tight container or glass jar.

Serve alone as a hors d’oeuvre or serve in one of the Ma Baensch Holiday Herring Cocktails; Baensch Press, Ma’s Martini or Ma’s Bloody Mary.

Ingredients

1 – 12 oz jar Ma Baensch Marinated Herring—Original Recipe (approximately 24 pieces)

1 – 8 oz cream cheese, softened

1 – 10 oz jar green queen olives (approximately 28 olives)

Variations

Herring and green olive (Basic)

Herring, green olive and pimiento

Herring, green olive and onion

Herring, green olive, onion and pimiento

Instructions
Drain herring well in a colander and discard sauce. Sort through herring pieces and remove onion slices, setting aside for use in variation that contains onion. Continue to drain herring. Drain olives well in a colander, discard liquid. Using a toothpick, carefully remove pimiento from each olive, setting aside for use in variation that contains pimiento. Continue to drain olives.

Basic Variation*
With a sharp chef’s knife finely mince herring pieces and green olives. With a fork cream/mix herring, cream cheese and olives until all ingredients are blended. Place in sealed container or form into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill to allow flavors to combine.

For additional variations finely mince pimento and/or onion. Add additional minced ingredients when you reach the cream step.

If you choose to make all four varieties, divide all ingredients by four before you begin, i.e. 2 oz. cream cheese, 6 pieces herring, 7 olives, 7 slices of pimiento and 1 T marinated onion. Then make the four individual spreads. This makes a colorful presentation if you shape the creamed mixture into balls and serve on a platter with small pieces of pumpernickel, rye bread or crackers of your choice.

*May also blend ingredients in a food processor until smooth and spreadable. This will create a smoother spread, without the small chunks of herring, olive, pimiento and onions.

Baensch Press
1 shot of your favorite vodka, chilled
1 piece of Ma Baensch Marinated Herring—Original Recipe
Pour vodka into a large shot glass, garnish with a piece of Ma Baensch Herring. Add your favorite toast and “slug her down.” You’ll have good luck the whole year through!

Ma’s Martini
1 ½ oz of your favorite gin
Splash of wine sauce from Ma Baensch Herring
1 piece of Ma Baensch Marinated Herring—Original Recipe

Chill cocktail glass to the point of frost. Fill martini shaker with cracked (not crushed) ice. Pour in gin. Garnish with a piece of Ma Baensch herring. A lucky cocktail for your holiday guests.

Ma Baensch Bloody Mary
2 parts vodka
4 parts clamato juice
1 heaping t horseradish
½ t Worcestershire sauce
½ t + hot sauce
1 t fresh lime juice
1 t sauce from Ma Baensch Herring
¼ t celery salt
Dash fresh ground black pepper
1 wedge fresh lime
2 green olives
1 piece of Ma Baensch Marinated Herring—Original Recipe
1 toothpick

Instructions
Mix all ingredients and pour into a glass filled with ice. You may wish to rub lime juice on the outer edge of a tall glass and then roll the rim in celery salt. Garnish with a wedge of fresh lime and a toothpick with a piece of Ma Baensch herring sandwiched between two green olives. Perfect for a New Year’s Day brunch. Enjoy!

Ingredients
1 24 oz jar Ma Baensch Marinated Herring—Original Recipe

Drain, reserve sauce and onions, cut fillets into quarters

1 C peeled and diced Spanish onion

1 C cleaned, seeded, cored and diced yellow bell pepper

1 seeded, cored and minced Jalapeno chili, optional

1 C fresh cilantro, minced

Juice of one lemon, freshly squeezed

Reserved onion

Instructions
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, toss gently.

Place Packer Salsa in a large re-sealable container, and cover with reserved wine sauce.

Seal container and chill 24 hours before serving.

Serve with green and gold corn chips or your favorite dipping crackers

Each version serves 10 canapés

Ma Baensch Herring Canapés with Horseradish Cream

1 – 12 oz jar Ma Baensch Marinated Herring—Original Recipe

Remove 20 pieces and pat dry, removing any onion pieces.

Place on plate and refrigerate until assembly

6 T cream cheese, softened

1 T prepared horseradish, without liquid

1 C potato, cooked and diced in ¼” cubes (may used canned, drained and diced)

2 T fresh dill, snipped into small pieces with a scissors

10 slices of cocktail rye bread, 2” x 2” x ¼”

In a small bowl, combine cream cheese and horseradish, set aside. In another small bowl, toss diced potatoes with 1 T fresh dill. To assemble – spread a thin layer of horseradish mixture onto a slice of the bread. Next layer approximately 2 tsp of the potato mixture and top with an even layer of herring (two pieces). Garnish with a small dollop of the cream cheese mixture in center of canapé, and top with a small amount of the fresh dill. Repeat with remaining nine slices. The canapés may be made in advance and kept delicately covered and chilled.

Ma Baensch Herring and Beet Canapés

1 – 12 oz jar Ma Baensch Marinated Herring—Sour Cream & Chives

Remove 20 tidbits, place on plate and keep refrigerated until assembly

6 T natural sour cream

2 T balsamic vinegar

1 T butter, softened

1 C beets, cooked and diced in ¼” cubes (may used canned, drained and diced)

2 T fresh chives, snipped into small pieces with a scissors

10 slices of cocktail pumpernickel bread, 2” x 2” x ¼”

In a small bowl, combine sour cream and balsamic vinegar, set aside. To assemble – spread a thin layer of butter onto a slice of the bread. Next spread on a thin layer of the sour cream mixture. Top with a layer of approximately 2 tsp of the beets and then an even layer of herring (two pieces). Sprinkle on a thin layer of chive, garnish with a small dollop of the sour cream mixture in center of canapé and top with a small amount of the fresh chive. Repeat with remaining nine slices. The canapés may be made in advance and kept delicately covered and chilled.

Ma Baensch Stone Ground Mustard Herring Canapés

1 – 12 oz jar Ma Baensch Marinated Herring—Original Recipe

Remove 20 pieces and pat dry, removing any onion pieces.

Place on plate and refrigerate until assembly

6 T cream cheese, softened

2 T stone ground mustard

½ C capers, prepared in vinegar brine – rinsed in cold water, drained and patted dry

1 T butter, softened

¼ C fresh watercress, clean, remove leaves and discard stems

10 slices of cocktail whole wheat bread, 2” x 2” x ¼”

In a small bowl, combine cream cheese and mustard, set aside. To assemble – spread a thin layer of butter onto a slice of the bread, followed with a thin layer of mustard mixture. Next evenly layer watercress leaves and top sparingly with an even layer of capers. Now place an even layer of herring (two pieces), and garnish with a small dollop of the mustard mixture in center of canapé. Top with a single caper in the center and a small watercress leaf standing next to the caper. Repeat with remaining nine slices. The canapés may be made in advance and kept delicately covered and chilled.

Ingredients
1-8oz. package cream cheese
1-12oz. jar Ma Baensch Marinated Herring—Original Recipe
Drain, discard sauce and onions, cut pieces into quarters
3 T fresh parsley, minced
1 T fresh dill weed, minced
Dash Jalapeño Tabasco Sauce

Instructions
Blend ingredients with food processor in order given. Cover and chill for 2-3 hours to allow flavors to combine.
Serve with toasted French bread, rye bread or crackers of your choice.

Ingredients
1-24oz. Ma Baensch Marinated Herring—Original Recipe, Drain, discard sauce, reserve onions and cut pieces into quarters
1/2 C dill pickle relish
1 medium apple*, cubed, peeled if desired
1/2 small Spanish onion, halved and sliced
1-15oz. can cooked, diced potatoes, drained
1-15oz. can cooked, diced beets, drained
Reserved Onions

Dressing
1 C whipped cream
1 T white vinegar
1 t prepared mustard
1/2 t pepper
1/2 t whole dill weed, dried
– If available, use 1 1/2 t fresh dill weed

Instructions
Combine all dressing ingredients and set aside. Toss all salad ingredients, including reserved onions, in a large bowl. Serve salad with dressing on the side, allowing guests to drizzle on dressing as desired. Garnish with fresh dill weed, if available. If preparing ahead of time, cover and refrigerate salad and dressing separately.

*For a tart variety try Granny Smith. For a sweeter variety try Braeburn.

Ingredients
1 – 24 oz Ma Baensch Marinated Herring—Original Recipe, drained
2 T Water
3 T Tomato Puree
2-3 T Granulated sugar
2 T Wine Vinegar
1 small onion, finely chopped

Instructions
Place herring in a bowl dissolve sugar in the water and mix with the vinegar, tomato puree and onion. Pour this tomato dressing over the herring and garnish with mustard and cress.

Ingredients
1 – 16 oz Ma Baensch Marinated Herring—Original Recipe
1/4 C Spanish Onions, minced
1/2 C Pickled Beets, drained and diced

Instructions
Combine all ingredients in dish and chill for 1 hour

Ingredients
1 – 24 oz jar Ma Baensch Marinated Herring—Original Recipe, drained, discard sauce, reserve onions, and cut tidbits in ¼
1 C peeled and diced Spanish onion
1 seeded, cored and minced jalapeno chili, optional
Juice of one lemon freshly squeezed removing pulp and seeds
Reserved onion
1 C cleaned, seeded, cored and diced red bell pepper
1 C fresh cilantro, minced

Instructions
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, toss gently. Place Herring Salsa in a large resalable container and refrigerate.

Cold Fish Tacos
Serve Ma Baensch Herring Salsa in soft flour tortillas, garnished with shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes and shredded Monterey jack cheese.

A Cold Appetizer
Serve Ma Baensch Herring Salsa in a small bowl, garnished with fresh cilantro and served with a side of sour cream and corn tortilla chips.

Served as a Salad
Qrrange lettuce leaves on a chilled plate, surround leaves with wedges of tomato, slices of cucumber, spoon Ma Baensch Herring Salsa onto leaves and garnish with fresh cilantro.