The weather is cooling off and fall favorites from the garden are ready for a turn in the kitchen… it’s time to warm things up!
Apple-Pecan Stuffed Chicken
- 3 lb. whole organic chicken
- 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 c. dried bread cubes
- 2 medium tart apples, washed, peeled and grated
- 1/2 c. chopped pecans
- 1/4 c. raisins
- 1/4 c. chopped celery
- 2 Tbsp. melted butter
- 2 tsp. lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp. lemon peel
- 1 Tbsp. each fresh minced sage, parsley, thyme
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the chicken breast side up in a baking dish. Rub well with oil and season with salt and pepper. in a medium bowl, combine the bread cubes, apples, pecans, raisins, celery, butter,lemon juice and peel and fresh herbs. Toss well to combine along with 1/4 c. water. loosely stuff the chicken and tie the legs together. Roast for 1 1/2 hours until chicken is tender.
Chicken Pot Pie With Sweet Potato Crust
- 3 c. chopped cooked chicken
- 1 c. chopped cooked carrots
- 12 pearl onions, cooked or 1/2 c. chopped onion
- 1 c. cooked peas
- 1 Tbsp. fresh minced parsley
- 1 c. plus 6 Tbsp. organic flour
- 1 c. half and half
- 2 c. chicken broth
- 3/4 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. pepper
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1 c. mashed sweet potatoes
- 1/3 c. canola oil
- 1 egg, beaten
Filling:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a 2 1/2 qt, baking dish, arrange the chicken and cooked vegetables. Sprinkle with parsley.
Sauce:
In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat and add the flour. cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Whisk in the half and half and broth. Cook and stir until the mixture boils and thickens. Pour over the vegetables and chicken.
Crust:
In a bowl, mix the flour, baking powder and salt. Using a fork, work in the mashed sweet potato with the oil and the egg. Roll out onto a lightly floured surface to 1/4″ thickness. Cover the baking dish with the pastry and pinch the edges to seal. Bake for 35 minutes until the crust is golden brown.
Potato, Leek And Fennel Soup
- 2 Tbsp. fresh butter
- 2 c. sliced leeks (use only white and pale green part)
- 2 c. sliced fennel bulb, reserve the fronds as a garnish
- 4- 14-oz. cans vegetable or chicken broth
- 2 lbs. red skin potatoes, peeled and cut into small pieces
Melt the butter in a heavy sauce pot over medium high heat. Add the leeks and fennel and saute until the leeks are translucent, about 7 minutes. Add the broth and potatoes and bring to a boil. reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the potatoes are very tender, about 30 minutes. Working in small batches, puree the soup in a blender (or use a hand blender). Season to taste with salt and pepper and garnish with chopped fronds when serving.
Chili-Maple Pork Medallions
- 1 (12 oz) pork tenderloin
- 1/2 tsp. Chinese five-spice powder
- 1 tbsp. canola oil
- 3/4 c. vegetable or chicken broth
- 1 1/2 Tbsp. real maple syrup
- 1 Tbsp. chili-garlic sauce
- 1 green onion, chopped
Cut the tenderloin cross-wise into six medallions and pound thin between sheets of waxed paper. Season with salt, pepper and five-spice powder. heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat and add the medallions. Cook until browned and cooked through, about 3 minutes on each side. Transfer to a platter. Add the next 3 ingredients to the skillet and cook until reduced to 1/4 cup; about 2 minutes. Pour the sauce over the pork and sprinkle with green onion.
Scottish Apple Pie
- pastry for two-crust pie
- 1 1/2 lbs. tart apples (like Granny Smith) peeled, cored, and diced
- 9 Tbsp. sugar, divided
- 1/2 c. gingersnap crumbs
- 1/3 c. orange marmalade
- 1/3 c. golden raisins
- 1 tsp grated orange peel
- 1 Tbsp. heavy cream
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a 9″ pie plate with half of the pastry. mix the apples, 8 Tbsp. of sugar, cookie crumbs, marmalade, raisins and orange peel in a large bowl. Spoon the filling into the crust and top with the second half of the pastry. Crimp the edges to seal and cut a hole in the center to vent. Blend the cream and 1 Tbsp. remaining sugar in a small bowl. brush ver the top crust. bake for 45 minutes until the filling is bubbly and the crust is golden. Serve warm.
Brown Rice With Lentils And Kale
- 1/2 cup French green lentils
- 2 cups water
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large onion, finely chopped (2 cups)
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 3/4 pound Tuscan (lacinato) kale
- 1 c. organic brown rice ( or 3/4 c. pasta)
Simmer lentils in 2 c. water with 1/4 teaspoon salt in an uncovered saucepot until tender but not falling apart, 20 to 25 minutes. (Add enough water to keep them just covered if necessary.)Remove from heat and season with salt. While the lentils simmer, heat 1/4 cup oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Saute the onion and pepper with 1/2 teaspoon salt, stirring, 1 minute. Reduce heat to low and cover. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft and golden, about 20 minutes. Remove the lid and increase heat to medium. Cook, stirring frequently, until onion is golden brown, 5 to 10 minutes more. While onion cooks, remove and discard stems and center ribs from kale. Cook kale in a pot of salted boiling water, uncovered, until just tender, 5 to 8 minutes. Remove the kale with tongs to a strainer and drain, pressing lightly. Add the brown rice to the kale liquid, cover and cook. Coarsely chop the kale and add it with the lentils to the onion (including lentil-cooking liquid). Simmer, stirring, for 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper. Remove the brown rice to a large bowl and toss with the kale mixture. Drizzle with remaining 2 Tbsp. oil and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Plum Crumble
- 1 1/4 c. organic flour
- 3/4 c. organic oats
- 1/3 plus 1/2 c. granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/2 c. chilled fresh butter
- 2 lbs. plums, halved, pitted and cut into wedges
- 1 Tbsp. Port
Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix the flour, oats, 1/3 c. sugar and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Cut in the butter until small clumps form. In a separate bowl, toss the plums with the remaining sugar and Port. Spoon into a 9″ pie plate and sprinkle the crumb topping over evenly. Bake until the fruit filling is bubbling and the topping is browned, about 1 hour. Serve warm.
Braided Sesame Bread
- 3 3/4 cups organic flour
- 2 teaspoons instant yeast
- 1 tsp. sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup plus 4 tablespoons hot water
- 3 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
- 1 beaten egg white
Dissolve the sugar and yeast in the water, let sit five minutes. Add the salt, olive oil and flour and mix well. Knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic. Turn into a greased bowl, turning to coat. Cover and let rise for 1- 1 1/2 hours. Gently deflate the dough and divide into three equal pieces. Roll each piece into a rope about 20″ long. Lay the ropes side-by-side on lightly greased parchment paper and loosely braid them, tucking the ends under. Cover and let rise for 1- 1 1/2 hours. Beat the egg white lightly and brush over the loaf, sprinkling with toasted sesame seeds on the top and sides. Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes until the loaf sounds hollow when tapped.
Roasted Vegetable Sandwiches With Pizza Dough Baguette
Pizza dough for baguettes:
- 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
- 1 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
Dissolve yeast and sugar in water. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Knead until smooth and pliable, the dough may be slightly sticky. Put into a greased bowl, turn to coat and cover. Let rise for 1 hour. Gently deflate the dough and divide into six equal pieces. Roll each piece into a cigar-shape about 6″ long and place onto a lightly greased baking sheet. Allow to rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes. Bake at 400 degrees until lightly browned and they sound hollow when tapped; 15-20 minutes. Allow to cool slightly as you prepare the vegetables.
Roasted Vegetables:
It’s your choice! Use whichever fresh, seasonal vegetables are available in your garden or local market. We like peppers, tomatoes, eggplant, mushrooms, Jerusalem artichokes, lettuce, summer/winter squash etc. To roast the vegetables, slice them lengthwise into thick planks and drizzle with olive oil. Season to taste with salt, pepper and fresh herbs. Place under the broiler and cook, turning once, until softened and slightly charred. Slice the baguettes, spread with your choice of dressing and layer the vegetables with fresh lettuce, cheese etc.
