Is fall the best time to cook? Warm days, crisp nights. With the slow start to the season we are still seeing green and yellow beans, kale and tomatoes in the markets and in our gardens, and beets, cauliflower and new potatoes are coming on. We have recipes from local chefs and cooks including a duck recipe for a Finnish holiday, and fall cookery from international chefs too. Time to get back in the kitchen.
North Indian-style Braised Beets
An easy and delicious way to use up those later season tomatoes and new beets. By Damini Mohan, Mini Kitchen.
| 2 med | beets (diced) |
| 2 med | tomatoes (diced) |
| 4-6 cloves | garlic |
| salt to taste | |
| neutral oil | |
| cumin | |
| lime or lemon juice |
In a pan, heat oil, add cumin and garlic and sauté.
Add the tomatoes, beets and sea salt, sauté.
Add 1 cup of water, put a lid on the pan and simmer for 30 minutes.
Once the water has evaporated and beets are soft, add lime or lemon juice to finish. Serve with roti or rice.
Serves 4-6 depending on size of the beets.
Seared Cauliflower with Gremolata
“I love this dish, it’s superfast to make after a busy workday and leaves me feeling nourished. Fresh, yet hearty and comforting.” –chef Lindsay James, Darling Wine Bar
| 1 head | cauliflower | |
| 1T | neutral oil | |
| 2T | butter | |
| salt | ||
| ½ bunch | parsley | |
| 1 | lemon, juiced and zested | |
| 2-3 T | olive oil | |
| Grana Padano | ||
| 3-4 | hazelnuts, peeled and toasted | |
| kosher salt and fresh- cracked black pepper |
Preheat oven to 425°F.
Remove leaves and bottom stem (roughly ½-inch) of the cauliflower. Place cauliflower stem side up and slice vertically through the centre of the stem. Trim off outer florets, leaving two 1½- inch steaks. Reserve florets for another use. Lay both pieces of cauliflower flat. Drizzle with neutral oil and salt generously.
Heat a cast iron pan to medium-high heat. Meanwhile, while the pan is heating, finely chop the parsley. In a small bowl add parsley, lemon juice, zest and olive oil to make the gremolata. Season with ½-t salt. Set aside. Place the cauliflower steaks oil side down into the cast iron pan. Allow to sear for 1-2 minutes then put the pan in the oven for 4 minutes to further cooking. Remove the pan from the oven and place back onto a medium burner. Flip the cauliflower over and add the butter to the pan. The butter will begin melt and foam. At this point spoon the butter all over the cauliflower steaks. Once the butter begins to brown, remove the pan from the heat and continue to spoon the butter over the cauliflower for 30 seconds.
Remove the cauliflower from the pan and put on a plate. Spoon over 2-3 T of the gremolata. Using a fine grater or a micro plane, grate a generous amount of the cheese all over the cauliflower. Next, grate over 1-2 toasted hazelnuts. Finish with black pepper.
Serves 2.
Squash, Ricotta and Thyme Tart
“We make this tart throughout the year in our cooking classes. It’s also delicious with tomatoes, melted leeks, wilted greens or grilled zucchini if you don’t have any squash handy.” –Kaelin Whittaker, Awn Kitchen.
Herbed Ricotta
| 1 tub | ricotta (500g) |
| 3-4 T | chopped herbs (parsley, rosemary, thyme, sage) |
| zest of 1 lemon | |
| 1 t | salt |
| a good grind of black pepper |
Mix the ricotta with the chopped herbs, lemon zest, salt and pepper. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
Squash
| 1 | delicata squash, halved and cut into ¼-inch moons |
| 1-2T | olive oil |
| salt and pepper |
Place the squash slices in a bowl and toss with the olive oil. Season. Roast in a preheated oven (400°F) for 10-12 minutes until tender, but not beginning to colour. Allow to cool.
For the Tart
| 1 pkg | (500g) all-butter puff pastry |
| 4-6 leaves | sage, chopped |
| 1T | olive oil |
| 2T | freshly grated Parmesan |
| fresh-cracked black pepper | |
| egg wash (prepared by whisking a whole egg with ¼tsp salt) |
Roll the puff pastry into a rectangle 12 x 18 inches, trim the edges. Spread the ricotta out over the base of the pastry, leaving an inch around the outside of the pastry rectangle free of ricotta. Top with the roasted squash pieces. Bring in the edges of the tart as you would for a galette. Top with the sage leaves and a drizzle of olive oil. Brush the edges with the egg wash and sprinkle with parmesan cheese and pepper. Place in a preheated oven (400oF) for 10-15 minutes until the pastry is golden.
Serves 8-12 as an appetizer or 6-8 as a starter.
Duck Breast with Squash Risotto and Cranberry Sauce. Photo courtesy Three Vikings
Duck Breast with Squash Risotto and Cranberry Sauce
“Our chef wrote wrote this recipe for Mortensaften, the Danish harvest festival, which is celebrated on November 10. Here is the story: there was a soldier Martin of Tours who became a monk. Being very pious, he was appointed to be the next bishop. As he didn’t want the job, preferring isolation over company, he hid in a goose pen to try and avoid detection. The geese cackled and gave him away. When he became bishop, he declared that on every November 10 goose was to be served at every meal. In modern Denmark they usually serve duck because it’s smaller.” –Stephanie Moore, Three Vikings
“You can make the cranberry sauce the day before. The duck doesn’t take very long so do that last. Find duck breasts at Popowich Meat Company.” –chef Dustin Cooknell, Three Vikings
Cranberry Sauce
| 2 c | cranberries (fresh or frozen) |
| 1 c | orange juice |
| 2 T | brown sugar |
| 2 pods | star anise |
| 1 stick | cinnamon |
| dash salt and pepper |
Combine all the ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer for about 10 minutes until cranberries have popped and sauce is thickened. Set aside.
Squash Risotto
| 1 L + 1 c | vegetable stock (salted) |
| 2 c | carnaroli or arborio rice |
| 2 c | diced acorn squash |
| 1 c | diced yellow onion |
| ¼ c | diced carrot |
| 3 cloves | garlic, finely chopped |
| ½ c | (1 stick, or ¼ lb) butter |
| 2 | bay leaves |
| ½ c | dry white wine |
| 1½-2 t | salt |
| 1½-2 t | pepper |
| ½ c | grated Parmesan |
In a medium saucepan heat 1 litre of vegetable stock until hot but not boiling. Keep hot on low heat.
Sauté the rice with the squash, onion, carrot and garlic in butter on medium-low heat for about 10 minutes until the rice is toasted and onions are translucent. Stir in the bay leaves and white wine for a few minutes until the wine is absorbed and the pan is deglazed. Add hot stock to rice mixture, one to two cups at a time, and stir until liquid is absorbed. Sprinkle with salt and pepper every time you add stock. This should take about 25 minutes. Remove rice mixture from heat and reserve.
Duck Breast
| 4 | duck breasts (with fat) |
| salt and pepper |
Score fat of the duck breast in a cross hatch. Be sure not to cut fully through the fat. Place all duck breasts fat-side down in a large pan over low heat for about 10 to 12 minutes to render as much fat as possible from the breasts. Pour the fat off and keep for future recipes.
Turn up the heat to medium-high and sear the fat for 3 to 4 minutes until crisp and a deep brown. Season the flesh well. Flip the breasts and cook for another 60 to 90 seconds until browned and you have reached medium rare doneness. Remove from heat and allow to rest for 10 minutes.
To serve: Finish the risotto while the duck is resting. Heat the remaining cup of stock in medium saucepan until hot but not boiling. Return the rice mixture to medium-low heat and add the heated stock. Stir until absorbed. Remove bay leaves and stir in Parmesan cheese to finish.
To serve: scoop risotto into your favourite fall harvest bowl and arrange the duck breast, sliced on a bias, over the risotto. Spoon the cranberry sauce over top and garnish with micro greens.
Serves 4.
Roast Potatoes with Creamed Spinach
This simple, sort of hasselback potato dish is made extra luxurious with cream.
“New potatoes will roast to a fudgy texture, like little balls of gnocchi. Score them deeply, toast-rack style, and they will crisp nicely too.” –Nigel Slater
| 4-6 | new potatoes depending on size | |
| 5T | olive oil | |
| 1 lg | bunch spinach | |
| ¾c | double cream | |
| 3T | grated Parmesan | |
| salt and pepper | ||
| 2 cloves | garlic | |
| 2T | butter | |
| 2T | flaked almonds | |
| handful | pea shoots (optional) |
Pre-heat the oven to 400°F. Wash the potatoes, place each one flat on a chopping board, then score them deeply with a knife at about ¼-inch or a bit less intervals, taking care not to cut right through to the chopping board. Toss them in the olive oil, making sure it gets between the slices, then place the potatoes in a roasting tin in a single layer. Bake for 45 minutes until they are golden and fudgy. (I like to turn them over halfway through.)
Wash the spinach, put the leaves and a thin film of water into a large saucepan, cover tightly with a lid, and place over a moderate heat until they start to relax and turn bright green. Remove, refresh in a colander under cold running water, then squeeze the leaves with your hands, pressing out most of the water. Roughly chop the spinach, then return to the empty pan. Add the cream and grated cheese and season. Warm gently.
Peel and finely slice the garlic. Melt the butter in a shallow pan, add the garlic and cook until golden and lightly crisp. Remove and set aside.
Toast the almonds in a dry pan till fragrant and lightly browned.
Spoon the spinach sauce onto plates and add the roast potatoes, almonds and crisp garlic. Scatter a few pea shoots over the top if you wish.
Serves 4-6.
Kale, Hazelnut and Bresaola Salad
Kale has been prolific this year and it’s becoming easier to find B.C. hazelnuts, so creamy and delicious. Bresaola is so lean and tasty but any high-quality charcuterie will do—speck, serrano, prosciutto. This is a good main course salad or make for a fancy lunch.
| 2 | shallots, sliced into rounds |
| 2t | vegetable oil |
| 1 bunch | kale, large stalks removed, leaves roughly torn |
| 4-6 slices | bresaola |
| 3 stalks | celery, thinly sliced on an angle |
| shaved Manchego (or Parm Reggiano) cheese, to serve | |
| 2t | whole hazelnuts, skinned |
| ½t | vegetable oil |
| good pinch of sweet smoked paprika |
Dressing
| 2 T | sherry vinegar |
| 2 T | extra virgin olive oil |
| 2 t | Dijon mustard |
| 2 T | raisins |
| salt and pepper |
In a large bowl, whisk the vinegar, oil, mustard and some seasoning together to make the dressing, then tip in the raisins and leave to soak. Rub the kale all over with vegetable oil. Season.
Heat oven to 375°F. Toss the shallots with 1t oil on a large baking pan. Separate the rings a little as you turn them in the oil. Roast for 10 mins, stirring halfway, until starting to soften and turn golden here and there.
Remove the shallot tray from the oven, mix in the kale, then return the tray to the oven.
Toss the hazelnuts with oil and paprika and put on a pan on the shelf below the kale/shallot mixture. Roast for 7 mins, giving the kale a turn halfway through, until crisp in some places, wilted in others.
Arrange the bresaola on serving plates. Toss the kale, shallots and celery with the dressing, mound on top and scatter hazelnuts and cheese over, if using.
Serves 4-6.
Brad Smoliak’s Classic Green Bean Casserole with Wild Mushroom Sauce
A Thanksgiving favourite for all the right reasons.
| 2 lb | green beans, washed |
To blanch beans bring 4 L of water to a rolling boil, add 1 T kosher salt and blanch beans (or any vegetables) for 3-4 minutes, or until tender crisp. Immediately plunge into ice water to stop the cooking, then drain until ready to use, (up to 2 days ahead).
Wild Mushroom Sauce
| ½c | butter |
| 1c | chopped onion/shallot |
| 2c | sliced wild mushrooms, mixed |
| ¼c | white wine |
| 2c | whipping cream |
| 1c | mushroom liquid |
| kosher salt and cracked black pepper | |
| 1t | parsley or chives, chopped |
Heat a heavy saucepan over medium high heat and melt the butter. Add the onions/ shallots and cook until light golden brown. Add the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper and cook for another 5 minutes, or until there are little brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Add the wine to de-glaze, stir to loosen any bits. Add the whipping cream and mushroom liquid and cook for another 15 minutes, or until reduced by half. Adjust seasoning and add the parsley or chives.
Bread Crumb Topping
| 1 c | breadcrumbs (use gluten-free crumbs if desired) |
| ¼ c | melted butter |
Toss breadcrumbs and butter together.
To assemble: Place the green beans on the bottom of a greased baking dish, add the mushroom sauce, then cover with breadcrumbs. Bake in a pre-heated 400°F degree oven for 20 minutes or until bubbling.
Serves 6-8.
Late Summer Quick Pickled Veg
This is a riff on Smitten Kitchen’s sandwich slaw, a quick pickle that will keep in the fridge for a few weeks, but it won’t last that long. Use a mix of firm fresh veg—red, orange and yellow peppers, green or yellow beans, or snap peas if yours came on late, carrots and cukes. Add a few thinly sliced jalapeño for a little heat if you like. Radishes have a tendency to make everything pink, so maybe not those and cabbage is optional. Makes a terrific afternoon snack or have with eggs.
| 4-5 c | julienned (about the size of a matchstick) firm, raw vegetables |
Pickling mixture
| 1c | distilled white vinegar |
| 4T | sugar |
| 2T | kosher salt |
| 2T | yellow mustard seeds |
| 1c | cold water |
Heat the vinegar, sugar, salt and mustard seeds to a simmer in a small, non-reactive pot over moderate heat, stirring only until sugar and salt dissolve. Stir in the water and let cool to lukewarm.
Divide vegetables between clean jars (two 1 litre jars, no need to sterilize as it’s a quick pickle). Pour the vinegar mixture over vegetables and refrigerate until needed. Make sure the liquid is covering all the vegetables. They will be lightly pickled in an hour and will get more pickled as they sit. The recipe can be halved easily if you don’t want a lot of pickle sitting in your fridge.
Sprouts with Brown Butter and Gochujang
Tons of umami in this little bit sweet, little bit spicy dish. I love buying sprouts on the stalk at the farmers’ market. Easy to halve the recipe if you are not feeding a crowd. By recipe developer Peter Som.
| 1 stalk | Brussels sprouts (about 3-5 cups) |
| 1T | extra-virgin olive oil |
| kosher salt, fresh-cracked black pepper | |
| ½c | coarsely chopped walnuts (optional) |
| 4T | unsalted butter |
| ⅓ c | gochujang (Korean hot pepper paste, find at H Mart) |
| 2T | pure maple syrup |
| 2 | scallions, thinly sliced, divided |
| zest of ½ lemon | |
| flaky sea salt |
Place rimmed baking sheets in upper and lower thirds of oven; preheat oven to 500°F. Toss Brussels sprouts with oil in a large bowl to coat; season with kosher salt and pepper. Carefully (baking sheets will be hot!) divide the sprouts between baking sheets and spread out in a single layer; reserve bowl. Roast, rotating baking sheets top to bottom and front to back halfway through, until the sprouts are charred in spots and tender, 16–18 minutes.
Meanwhile, if using walnuts, toast in a dry medium skillet over medium heat, tossing often, until fragrant and slightly darkened, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl and let cool.
Cook the butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, swirling occasionally, until milk solids are a deep amber color and butter smells very nutty, 5–8 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the gochujang paste and maple syrup. Season with kosher salt and pepper.
Combine Brussels sprouts, half of walnuts, and half of scallions in reserved bowl; add brown butter mixture and toss to coat. Transfer to a platter and scatter remaining walnuts and scallions over. Finely grate lemon zest over and sprinkle with sea salt.
Serves 6.
Paula Wolfort’s Chicken in Red Wine Vinegar
Cookbook author Paula Wolfort’s chicken in red wine vinegar sounds impossible. Instead, it’s a hearty dish made with economical chicken thighs and pantry ingredients.
| 14 T | red wine vinegar |
| ½c | chicken broth |
| 1T | honey |
| 1T | tomato paste |
| 2T | butter |
| 8 lg | chicken thighs, trimmed |
| kosher salt and fresh-cracked black pepper | |
| 4 cloves | garlic, thinly sliced |
| 3 lg | shallots, thinly sliced |
| ¾c | dry white wine |
| 2T | crème fraîche (or sour cream) |
| 3T | chopped tarragon |
In a medium saucepan, bring the vinegar, broth, honey and tomato paste to a boil, stirring well. Simmer the vinegar sauce until reduced to ½-cup (about half).
Heat the butter in a large, heavy skillet. Season the chicken thighs and add half of them to the skillet, skin side down. Cook over moderate heat, turning once, until browned. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with the remaining thighs.
Add the garlic and shallots to the skillet and cook over low heat for 5 minutes. Add the wine; boil until reduced to ¼ cup. Add the vinegar sauce and bring to a simmer.
Return the chicken to the skillet, skin side up. Cover and simmer over low heat until cooked through, about 20 minutes. Transfer the chicken to plates.
Add the crème fraîche to the skillet and boil for 3 minutes. Add the tarragon and season with salt and pepper. Pour the sauce over the chicken and serve.
Serves 4-6.
Squash Muffins
You know those delicious roasted ½ Acorn squash dripping in butter and brown sugar your Mum used to make for Thanksgiving dinner? These taste kind of like that. From Bon Appetit.
| 2 lg | eggs |
| 10 T | (1¼ sticks) butter, melted |
| ⅔ c | buttermilk |
| 2 t | grated peeled ginger |
| ⅔ c + 2 T | light brown sugar, packed |
| 2c | flour |
| 2t | baking powder |
| ¼t | baking soda |
| 1t | ground cinnamon |
| 1t | kosher salt |
| 2c | peeled squash or fresh pumpkin, grated (on large holes of box grater) |
| ¾c | unsweetened shredded coconut |
| ¾c | coarsely chopped pecans or walnuts |
| ¾c | raisins (optional) |
Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a standard 12-cup muffin pan with liners. Whisk eggs, butter, buttermilk, ginger, and ⅔ cup brown sugar in a medium bowl. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl. Mix the egg mixture into the dry ingredients with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until just combined. Mix in squash, coconut, pecans and raisins, if using. Do not overmix.
Divide batter among muffin cups, filling to the brim (about 1⁄2 cup batter per muffin). Sprinkle the remaining brown sugar on top.
Bake muffins, rotating pan halfway through, until golden brown and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean about 30–32 minutes. Let cool in the pan 5 minutes, then transfer muffins to a wire rack and let cool completely.
Makes 12 muffins.
Chocolate and Cherry Brownies
The Evans (or Juliet) cherries are terrific this year. If you are not so fortunate to have a cherry tree in your back yard, B.C. cherries will do fine.
| ¾c | unsalted butter, melted |
| 2T | vegetable oil |
| 1c | granulated sugar |
| ¾c | light brown sugar |
| 3 lg | eggs |
| ½t | kosher salt |
| 1c | all-purpose flour |
| ¾c | cocoa powder |
| 4 oz | semi-sweet chocolate roughly chopped |
| 1c | pitted sour cherries, roughly chopped |
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Line an 8×8-inch baking pan with parchment paper or foil (or grease the pan).
Sift the flour and cocoa powder into a bowl. In a larger bowl mix the melted butter, oil and sugars. Whisk to combine. Add the salt and whisk in one egg at time. Whisk vigorously for one full minute.
Gently but thoroughly fold the flour mixture into the egg mixture.
Add the chocolate and cherries (do not overmix) then pour into the prepared pan.
Bake in the centre rack for 40-50 minutes. Use a knife or toothpick to check for doneness. These are fudgy brownies so the centre may seem a bit underdone; they will firm up when cooled. Cool for at least one hour before cutting.