Autumn Love

I love fall.

Crisp weather, beautiful leaves, and everything smells like corduroy and fireplace smoke.  It's like a John Irving novel, minus the orphans.

And, warm, comforting flavors begin to creep their way into my cooking.  Apples, mushrooms, bitter greens, turnips, parsnips, gourds of all kinds, and earthy spices like cinnamon, cumin, and nutmeg fill my kitchen with comforting aromas.

So on this beautiful fall day, I offer up some autumnal love with farro.


Farro with Butternut Squash, Apples, and Dried Cranberries

Striking a great balance between sweet and savory, this dish can serve a crowd!  Perfect for your Thanksgiving table or a meat-free movie night with friends.

2 cups farro
4 cups butternut squash (1 medium squash), peeled and diced into 1/2" cubes
1 large onion, cut into thin slices
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and cut into slices
3 cloves garlic, 2 minced and 1 lightly smashed
3/4 cup dried cranberries
2 Tbl stone ground mustard
3 Tbl red wine vinegar
1 cup vegetable stock
2 Tbl coconut oil
pinch of nutmeg
1 tsp ground cumin
1 Tbl fresh sage, minced
1 Tbl fresh rosemary, mince (plus 1 sprig)
6 sprigs of fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
2 cups arugula
salt and pepper

Bring 4 cups of salty water to a boil with 1 garlic clove, bay leaves,  and thyme and rosemary (tied into a bundle).  Add farro, reduce heat and cook for 15 minutes.  Drain water, remove garlic and herbs, reserve.

In a large saute pan, heat oil over medium high heat and saute onions until just beginning to become translucent, about 10-12 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add cumin, nutmeg, and remaining two cloves of garlic, minced, and cook for 1 minute.  Add squash and cook for about five minutes, adjusting seasoning.  Add apples, rosemary, and sage and cook until apples begin to soften, about four minutes.

In a small bowl, combine mustard, vinegar, and vegetable stock.  Add to pan, scraping up any bits with a wooden spoon.  Add reserved farro and cranberries.  Toss to combine and cook over medium heat for six or seven minutes until farro is tender but still al dente.  Remove from heat and stir in arugula.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Back to life

So.

Earlier I stated that in my "other life" I am a high school theatre teacher.  Given my two month absence from my haven of cooking on the interweb, it has become painfully clear that my other life has taken over my other, other life.

Tonight, I walked in from work, journals to grade, scenes to evaluate, end of term comments to write, a (gulp) middle school play to cast, and said, "Screw it."

And I decided to cook.

So I made a bee line for my Gourmet Today cookbook to find my fave fall recipe, Chicken with Black Pepper-Maple Sauce (p. 409), and I dove right in to spatchcoking the $#!* out of that chicken.  Shoulders fell as autumn aromas filled my tiny kitchen.  Anxiety left as I roasted potatoes with fresh rosemary, garlic and lemon wedges.  And, spirits lifted as I finally perfected a squash soup recipe (all previous attempts looking like something akin to gravy).

And I remembered that my soul is always brighter when I'm dancing around a soup pot.

Curried Acorn Squash Soup

This soup is a fantastic combo of sweet and savory.  If you've got it, top off each bowl with a bit of black salt. It cuts through the sweetness of the apples and makes it look real purty like.

2 cups onion, chopped
1 carrot
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium acorn squash, peeled and chopped into cubes
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and chopped
3 Tbl olive oil
2 Tbl curry powder
1 tsp galangal
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp groung corriander
4 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup apple cider
salt 'n pepper

In a large stock pot, heat oil and curry powder for about 1 minute.  Add onions, sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper, and stir until coated.  Cook for about 5 minutes.  Add carrots,garlic, and remaining spices, and cook for an additional 5 minutes.  Stir in squash and apples, cover, and cook for 5 - 7 minutes, until squash begins to become tender.  Add stock and bring to boil.  Reduce heat, add cider, and simmer for ten minutes.  Off the heat, puree soup with an immersion blender until smooth.

Confession: A Pinch of Fresh Herbs

“Well, I do declare!”

One hears this phrase and instantly an image appears: a banana curled, corseted, hoop skirted Southern belle sitting on the lanai of her antebellum plantation fanning herself while sipping mint juleps and talking about the lahf-stahyle to which she has become acc-uh-stomed.

While this particular chromosomally challenged, Foghorn Leghorn/Scarlett O’Hara hybrid exists only in my head, it is true that Southerners, as a rule, are a declarative people. Whatever is stated is done so with the fervent passion of one speaking gospel…even if the speaker changes their mind within the duration of the conversation.

My dear friend, CSGPW, is one such declaration spewing Southerner. She is an incredibly talented actor, director, and writer. A gifted storyteller (ask her to tell you about that damn monkey, Jinx) and self-proclaimed rock star, she will tell it like it is or how it should be without a hint of hyperbole, irony, or doubt in her voice. Her porch is the location for the weekly tent revival/hippie love-in/food orgy of trashy, yet delicious, dips and random potlucky goodness attended by a dear circle of friends. It is here we talk, laugh, eat, and drink, and, as we move into a food induced rhapsodic state, we gleefully wait for the evening’s words of wisdom to come forth from the mouth of our hostess.

“Life is too short to suffer through mediocre theatre!”
Here, here!

“There ain’t nothing worse than hearing the tsseeee tsseeee of a gah’ tam skeeter buzzin’ around your ear in the middle of the night!”

Amen, sister!

“Nothing pisses me off more than having to pay for fresh herbs in the summer.”
I totally agree.

Nothing pisses me off more than having to pay for fresh herbs in the summer, too!

That’s why, this morning, I snuck into your garden and raided your herbs.

I promise to make you dinner.


Chilled Summer Squash Soup with Lemongrass and Thyme

4-5 lbs yellow squash, halved and chopped
2 yellow onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
4 stalks lemongrass
Small bundle of thyme, about 6-7 sprigs
6 cups chicken stock
1 lemon, zest and juice
1/3 cup Greek yogurt
2 Tbl olive oil
Heat oil in a stock pot over medium heat. Add onions and cook until tender but not browned (roughly 5-7 minutes). While onions sweat, remove ends of lemongrass stalks. With the back of your knife, give those stalks a good whack to release oils. Once onions are tender, add garlic and sauté for one minute. Add squash and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add lemongrass and thyme. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Add stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for ten minutes. Remove from heat.

Fish out lemongrass stalks and thyme. Working in batches in a blender or using an immersion blender, puree the soup until smooth. In batches, pass soup through a sieve, using the back of a ladle to help things along. Thoroughly mix in zest, juice, and yogurt. Salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate until completely chilled.

Basil Pesto

2 cups loosely packed basil
5 cloves garlic
¼ cup walnuts
1 lemon, zest and juice
¼ cup parmesan cheese
¾ cup olive oil

In a small food processor, combine basil, garlic, walnuts, and lemon zest. With the motor running, drizzle in the olive oil. Transfer to a bowl and mix in the cheese. Store in an airtight container with a layer of olive oil on top.


Grilled and Marinated Zucchini

I first encountered this method while working at Bari Ristorante e Enoteca in Memphis, TN. The process is a little time consuming but well worth the work. These bad lads are great on an antipasti plate with a variety of cured meats and cheeses or thrown into a salad or couscous. Play around with different vegetables and herbs.

This is a method; you decide the quantity.
Zucchini Eggplant
Garlic, thinly sliced Oregano (or Mint)
Capers, drained
Basil, finely chopped
Olive oil
Salt/Pepper

Preheat a grill pan over medium high heat. Using a mandolin, slice zucchini length wise in thin, ¼” strips. In batches, grill zucchini until grill marks just barely become visible through the side remaining up (about 3 minutes). Flip and grill for another minute. Set aside to cool.

In a flat container, create one even layer of vegetables. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper. Add a few slivers of garlic, a few capers, and basil. Drizzle with oil. Continue to layer until all of the vegetables have been treated. Cover and refrigerate, allowing the vegetables to marinate for at least 3 hours.

Repeat process with eggplant substituting oregano or mint for the basil.

The key to this is moderation. Don’t go too crazy!

Lemon Herb Vinaigrette

1 shallot
1 clove garlic
1Tbl fresh parsley
1 Tbl fresh basil
1 tsp fresh thyme
1 tsp fresh tarragon
1 Tbl Dijon mustard
Juice of 3 lemons
¾ cup olive oil
Salt and Pepper to taste

In a small food processor, mash up everything except the oil until smooth. With the motor running, drizzle in oil until combined.

Flatbread Pizza

Again, this is a method I use a lot. You could make your own dough, but who has the time?! Flat Out Flatbread makes the perfect crust and it’s slightly healthier than regular pizza dough. You can pretty much top it with anything, so show your creativity and play with your food!

Preheat oven to 400. On a baking sheet, place flatbread and drizzle with olive oil. Flip it over and mush it around to get off excess oil, and then flip it again. Light salt and bake for roughly 7 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool. This crisps it up. Top it with your choice of goodies, then back in the oven it goes until cheese is ooey, gooey delish.

Pesto
Grilled Zucchini and Eggplant
Sun-dried tomatoes (oil packed)
Oil cured olives
Red onion, sliced
Goat cheese

Top with arugula tossed in Lemon Herb Vinaigrette. There is no picture. J, my Valentine and photographer, was talking on the camera...I mean phone...and we wuz hungry! But trust me, it was real purty like.

Returning to the scene of the crime! Very attractive, no?