I'm celebrating a year of dazzling recipes, foreign flavors

It's time to take a breather and look through the Champagne haze of New Year's Eve at recipes I used this year, meals that turned out exceptionally well and even the version of kale I made that persuaded my partner to eat it.

Some of my 2010 winners were drop-dead easy stuff, like canning. I'm serious - not my grandmother's canning, but freezer canning.

In 90-degree June temps, my consort and I picked 10 gallons of Ruskin tomatoes, from which I made a simple tomato sauce. We couldn't possibly use it all at once, so I stored a slew of plastic containers in the freezer. Throughout the year, I'd thaw and simmer the sauce into a thick marinara that was bolstered with garlic, basil and a pinch of sugar.

I'm telling you, this stuff was so good, there's no question about a sequel.

The more offbeat highlights of 2010? Pickled grapes, s'moreffles and cheese relish. Honestly, each was a hit I'll be serving again.

Then there were recipes with a kick of foreign flavor.

Beginning the year was picadillo from Little Habana Café, and guava bread pudding made with authentic bread from Faedo's Cuban Bakery. I also made treacle bread, an Irish specialty, and then moved on to some spicy mango chutney from India.

The year ended with a mulled wine called glogg my friend Jackie Rosenberg prepared and served. This homemade, smells-as-good-as it-tastes Swedish drink was perfect after several hours of kayaking in mid-50s weather.

I wish I could deliver olfactory columns, but you'll have to take my word on it, the glogg was warm, festive and oh-so-much-better than nog.

Want something healthy? Try this: massage kale salad: a big bowl of ribbon kale, tossed with olive oil, Celtic sea salt, lemon juice, dried cranberries and chopped walnuts. Surprisingly, even kale-haters won't mind this dish because the raw kale doesn't smell like cooked kale, and the tangy dressing is rich, yet low in fat.

For my first recipe of 2011, I'm offering macaroni and cheese with ham and horseradish. It's comforting and earthy, and conveniently calls for ingredients that will clean out my refrigerator. I'm ready for another year of cooking, basting and canning, folks.

Here we go again.

Macaroni and cheese with ham and horseradish

1 pound medium pasta shells

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 cups cubed ham

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon horseradish, or more to taste

4 cups milk

1 pound coarsely grated cheddar

20 chives, snipped into 1/2 -inch lengths

Coarse kosher salt to taste

Freshly ground pepper

1 cup panko bread crumbs

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and lightly butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Cook pasta according to package directions, until al dente. Drain the pasta and rinse with cold water to prevent sticking.

In a large skillet set over medium-high, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil for 2-3 minutes. Add the ham and cook, stirring occasionally until browned, about 5-7 minutes. Remove the ham from the pan and set aside.

Set the skillet back over medium heat; melt the butter until foamy; whisk in the flour; and cook, whisking constantly for 3-4 minutes, until the mixture turns a light tan color. Whisk in the horseradish.

Add the milk the pan, whisking constantly and bring the sauce to a simmer. Cook until the mixture is thick enough that a line drawn with your finger across the coated spoon leaves a mark, another 1-2 minutes. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the cheddar. Pour the pasta into the pan of cheese sauce, add the ham and chives and stir gently and thoroughly to combine. Adjust seasonings to taste.

Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish. In a small bowl, combine the panko bread crumbs with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Spread evenly over the top of the macaroni. Bake in the oven until the top is golden and bubbly for 25-30 minutes.

Serves 8.

Source: Adapted from "Cooking with Shelburne Farms" by Melissa Pasanen with Rick Gencarelli