Fabulous Fall Food

iCOOK

Fabulous Fall Food

by Britt Allgood

This year is winding down and our lives are adjusting to the new normal. Seasonal celebrations may not be the same as they have been in the past. The gatherings may be smaller and more intimate but that doesn’t mean you can’t prepare some soul warming comfort foods. The leaves are colorful and falling, the apples are ripe, pumpkin patches are littered with fruit and my taste buds are looking forward to the foods you only get in the fall.

Cooler days mean that soup is back on the menu. A bowl of hearty soup on a chilly fall day can warm the body and soul. I discovered one of my favorites on a cool rainy fall day in California is Butternut Squash and Parsnip soup. It’s creamy and hearty at the same time and takes full advantage of the sweetness of the squash and parsnip.

Dinner with friends these days can be a bit of a challenge since you may be bundled up and eating outside. It’s the perfect excuse to go the extra mile and make a dish they will remember. Pan seared pork chops with apple-parsnip puree isn’t difficult to make and can be ready within an hour. Fresh herbs and a Honeycrisp apple lend this dish a sweet and savory component. Serve with some oven roasted Delicata squash and a green vegetable like broccoli to round out the meal.

Top it all off with a sumptuous fall dessert such as toasted pecan torte with fresh butterscotch topping. I guarantee that it will impress any guest. Happy holidays and fall eating. Live, Laugh, Love and Eat Well.

Butternut Squash and Parsnip Soup with Thyme

Butternut Squash and Parsnip Soup with Thyme

Serves 6

3 tablespoons butter

One 2-pound butternut squash, unpeeled and halved lengthwise, seeded and cut into eight pieces

1 pound of Parsnips, peeled and cut crosswise into 2 inch pieces with the thick ends cut in half

¼ cup water

1 onion halved and thinly sliced

2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme or ¾ tsp dried 4

cups chicken broth

1 cup half and half cream

Preheat the oven to 375° F. Butter a large roasting pan with one tablespoon of butter. Arrange squash pieces, skin side up, in the prepared pan. Add the parsnips and the water to the pan. Cover with foil and bake in the oven about 50 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Allow them to cool. As the vegetables are cooling, melt the remaining two tablespoons of butter in a large skillet or stock pot over medium heat. Add the onion and thyme and sauté until golden, about 10 minutes. If you don’t have an immersion mixer, scrap the roasted squash off the peel and add it, the parsnips and onion mixture to a food processor or blender. Puree it until smooth and place it back into a stock pot. Add the stock and cream and mix until smooth with a whisk. If you have an immersion mixer, you can add the roasted squash (without the peel) and the other ingredients directly into the pot you used to sauté the onions as well as about two cups of the chicken broth. Blend until smooth then add the remaining broth and cream and blend again. Season with salt and pepper and serve hot. This soup will keep a few days in the refrigerator in a closed container. I would pair it with a savory sandwich or possibly a green salad for a light and delicious lunch.

Pan-Seared Pork Chops with Parsnip-Apple Puree

Pan-Seared Pork Chops with Parsnip-Apple Puree

For Puree

5 tablespoons butter

1 yellow onion, thinly sliced

2 pound (about 5 medium) parsnips, peeled and roughly chopped

2 Honeycrisp apples, peeled, cored and roughly chopped

4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

2 teaspoons orange zest

1 teaspoon thyme leaves (I used fresh but dried will also work)

1 teaspoon minced sage leaves (again I used fresh)

2 cups chicken stock

Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

For Chops

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 sage sprig plus about 12 leaves

Four 8-ounch boneless pork chops about one inch thick (or two 12-ounce bone-in chops one inch thick)

Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper

5 tablespoons unsalted butter

4 thyme sprigs

Parsnip-apple puree:

In a four quart saucepan, melt the butter over medium high heat. Add the onions and cook until soft and caramelized, about 12 minutes. Add the parsnips, apples and garlic and cook until golden brown, about eight minutes. Stir in the orange zest, thyme and sage and cook until fragrant, about a minute. Pour in the chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Cook uncovered until the vegetables are tender and the liquid has reduced slightly, about 20 minutes. Working in batches, transfer the mixture to a blender and puree until smooth. Scrape back into the pan and season with salt and pepper. Keep warm until ready to serve.

Pork chop preparation: In a 12-inch cast iron skillet, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Line a plate with paper towels and set aside. Add the 12 sage leaves to the pan and fry until crisp, 10 to 20 seconds, and then transfer to the plate.

Season the chops on both sides with salt and pepper. Sear the chops, flipping once, until golden brown, four to five minutes per side then transfer to the plate. Reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining sage and thyme sprigs, butter and garlic. Cook until the herbs are fragrant, one minute, and then return the chops to the pan. Cook, flipping once and basting constantly until an internal temperature of at least 140°F is reached about three minutes per side. Transfer the pork to a cutting board and let rest for five minutes before serving or carving into thick slices.

Divide the puree and pork between the plates. Garnish with the fried sage leaves and serve.

Oven Roasted Delicata

Oven Roasted Delicata

Serves 2

One Delicata squash, halved lengthwise and seeds removed then cut crosswise into ½ inch thick slices

Olive Oil

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Sage, fresh or ground to taste

Preheat oven to 400°F. Place the squash in a bowl and toss with about one to two tablespoons of olive oil. Transfer to a small rimmed baking sheet and spread out in a single layer. Season both sides of the squash with salt, pepper and sage.

Place in oven and bake for about 25 minutes, turning them after about 12 minutes, or until a fork easily sinks into the flesh. Serve warm as a side dish. You can eat the skin of the Delicata.

Toasted Pecan Torte with Butterscotch Topping

Courtesy Bon Appetit

Toasted Pecan Torte with Butterscotch Topping

Courtesy Bon Appetit

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature, divided plus some for the pan

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for the pan

5 cups pecan halves

2 ¼ teaspoons baking powder

1 ¾ teaspoons kosher salt, divided

1 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest (I used the zest of one orange)

1 large egg, room temperature

1 large egg yolk, room temperature

5 tablespoons rum, divided (I used Myer’s Dark rum)

½ cup (packed) dark brown sugar

1 ½ cups chilled heavy cream, divided

Special equipment:

9" spring form pan

Food processor

Mixer (freestanding or handheld)

Place rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Butter and flour the spring form pan and set aside. Place pecans on a rimmed baking sheet and toast for 12 to 15 minutes, tossing once after about six minutes, until fragrant and slightly darker in color. Let cool. Leave the oven on at 350°F.

Pulse baking powder, flour, one teaspoon of salt, and three cups of pecans in the food processor until nuts are finely ground. In a large bowl using a mixer on medium high, beat the granulated sugar, orange zest, and ¾ cup butter together until light and fluffy, about five minutes. Add egg and egg yolk to the bowl and beat about one minute until combined and mixture is fluffier. Beat in three tablespoons of rum, stop mixer and add the dry ingredients. Mix together on low until just combined, then fold a few times with a rubber spatula, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl, to ensure batter is evenly mixed.

Scrape batter into the prepared spring form pan and smooth the top. Place in 350°F oven and bake until golden brown and a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 45 to 50 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let the torte cool in the pan.

Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, bring the brown sugar, ½ cup cream, remaining ¼ cup butter, and one tablespoon of rum to a boil over medium heat stirring often and cook until slightly thickened, about three minutes. Remove the butterscotch from heat and stir in the remaining ¾ teaspoons of salt. Mix in remaining two cups pecans and let sit at room temperature, stirring occasionally, until butterscotch is cool but able to be poured.

Spread topping over torte. Whip the remaining heavy cream in a large bowl until heavy peaks form. Serve on top of the torte.

NOTE: I placed the topping on torte while still in spring form pan and allowed to cool a bit before serving. The pan kept the nuts on top until the butterscotch congealed. You can prepare the topping (without the pecans) up to 3 days ahead if covered and chilled. Before using, reheat slowly on low before adding the nuts. The torte can be prepared a day ahead and stored at room temperature if wrapped tightly.