AUTUMN DINNERS

Fall, like spring, is a transitional season and seems fleeting because it only lasts a short time in its pure form. Few people stop to realize autumn has as many fruit and vegetable crops to offer as summer-squashes, Brussel sprouts, rabe. Kale, beets, apples, pears and grapes to mention a few.  Most of fall produce has a more pronounced taste than that of other seasons and this invites herbs and spices to compliment the flavors. 

As a result, fall dishes work with herbs and spices to create tantalizing flavors and aromas, like the popular ‘Pumpkin Pie Spice’ to give them a zing unique to this season. They’re the perfect pairing for the crisp, sunny days and bright foliage. Try some of these dinners now. You’ll be glad you did…..

RECIPES 

Stew in a Pumpkin;  Serves 6-8

3 Tbs. butter

2 lbs. beef for stew cube-OR equal amount of pork—(I prefer this option)

3 Tbs. cornstarch

2 large onions diced

3 tomatoes chopped

2 Tbs. butter

¼ tsp. EACH salt and pepper

3 cups beef stock

½ lb. prunes

½ lb. dried apricots

3 sweet potatoes sliced

(2) 10 oz. packages corn –thawed and drained

1 pumpkin, top cut off and reserved, cleaned of pulp and seeds. Melt 3 Tbs. butter in a Dutch oven. Roll the meat in the cornstarch and brown. Set aside. Melt 2 Tbs. butter in a separate pan and sauté vegetables until tender. Add to meat with juices. Add all remaining ingredients except pumpkin, cover and simmer 1 hr. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Ladle stew into the pumpkin; set in a roasting pan with 1 inch of water, and bake for 1 hr. Carefully transfer pumpkin from the pan to a serving dish and replace its top as a lid for garnish. Serve at once scooping out some of the pumpkin meat as you ladle out the portions.

NOTE: I save clean-up by sautéing the vegetables in the Dutch oven first and then browning the meat. It’s one less pot. Also if you have it on hand, replace one cup of stock with beer. It deepens the flavor.

Stuffed Acorn Squash*: Serves 4

2 Acorn squash-halved and seeded

½ lb. hamburger

½ cup diced carrots

½ cup diced onions

2 Tbs. raisins

Salt and pepper

Halve squash and seed. Mix other ingredients and stuff squash cavities. Bake at 375 deg. for 1 hr.

*NOTE: Squash can also be stuffed with hash, creamed ham, link sausages, vegetables or peeled, cored and quartered apples.

Microwave apples until crisp tender with 1 Tbs. sweetened cider vinegar. Cook the squash until tender. Halve the apple quarters and fill the squash cavities, optionally topping each with 1>2 tsp. chutney. Reheat in a 400 deg oven or under the broiler.

My Pork Normandy: Serves 2
4 thin loin chops, slices of loin-trimmed of fat
2 large cooking apples-peeled, cored and cut into rings
1/3-1/2 cup apple juice or cider
1-1 ½ tsp. cinnamon-sugar mix-depending on taste
3 Tbs. Madera, Apple Jack or Brandy  -optional
Place the meat in a flat bottomed pan, put a slice of apple on each and lay the remainder of the apple cut in chunks in the pan. Pour in enough juice to almost cover the meat, and sprinkle the spice mix over it.Cover with foil and bake in a 350 deg. oven for 40 min. Uncover and add liquor. Bake 5 more min. Plate and serve hot. Optionally, plate meat and fruit, add 1/3 cup sour cream to sauce and return to oven to warm through. Serve sauce around chops.

Glamorous Ham Casserole – Serves 4- 6
2 cups cooked rice – not minute

2 cups cooked ham in ½ inch dice

2 eggs – beaten

2 plum or small tomatoes in large dice

1/3 cup green bell pepper diced

¼ cup onion diced

1 ½ tsp. Dijon or Spicy Brown mustard

1 ½ tsp. Worcestershire Sauce

½ cup cream sherry

½ cup light cream

½ cup bread crumbs

2Tbs melted butter

Paprika and parsley to garnish.

Combine all the ingredients except the last three in a lightly greased 2 quart casserole. Stir to mix well. Combine butter and bread crumbs, sprinkle over the top. Garnish with the paprika and parsley.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 mins. or until nicely browned and bubbly.

Game Hens with Wild Rice and Grapes:  Serves 4- 

4 Cornish Hens- o if large, 2 split
1 box Long Grain and Wild Rice
8 lightly toasted slices of white bread if you decide to split the hens into 8 servings
2 cups chicken broth
2 Tbs. cornstarch or flour
¼ tsp. each thyme and rosemary
1 Tbs. butter
1lb. seedless white or red grapes, stems removed
Prepare the rice according to package directions, and use it to stuff the hens. If the birds are split, cover each stuffed half with a slice of bread and invert as placed in the pan. If left whole, place the hens breast side up in the pan. Rub the butter over the game hens. Pour ¼ cup broth in the bottom and roast at 350 deg. for 1 hour, basting every 20 min. and maintaining the fluid level in the pan. Meanwhile chop the giblets and cook them in 1 cup of broth. Spread the grapes out in a microwave safe pie plate with 1 Tbs. water. When the hens are done, add the pan drippings to the remaining broth with enough water to equal 1 cup. Dissolve the four or cornstarch in the cold broth, and add to the pan with the broth and giblets. Cook over medium heat until the sauce thickens. Microwave the grapes 30 sec. before serving and plate with the hens. Serve the sauce on the side. The rest of the Romaine will make a salad to complete this meal.
NOTE: If serving stuffed, split birds, roll 4 slices of bread thin to compact them and place one under each stuffed half bird. It will keep the rice in place and prevent it sticking to the___14 pan. Serve the bid on the bread slice.

Stuffed Duck: Serves 2-4

Usually, the domestic ducks found in markets run about 4-5 lb. and can serve four, but are more often split to serve two. Because the cavity isn’t large enough to hold stuffing for more than two or three servings, any accompaniments are usually served on the side. If stuffing is desired, a fruit one is best rather than bread. I like a couple of slices of toasted raisin bread with apples, orange sections and some rind, celery, onion one egg, orange juice and thyme or sage. It’s simple, light, compliments the meat and the citrus down plays any grease. Approximate quantities are:
1 rib celery- diced
½ small onion – diced
2 apples-peeled cored and in 1 inch chunks
1 orange-meat scooped out and zest of /2 the rind
3-4 slices cinnamon-raison bread-toasted torn or cut in 1 inch pieces-amount depends on size of duck
1 egg
Orange juice to moisten
1 tsp thyme-or more to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
Combine all ingredients in a bowl; toss well and stuff uncooked duck.
Duck is only roasted and there are two theories on doing it. Both are based on a 4-5 lb. duck, because size is pretty uniform. One is to cook the duck at 350 deg. for 2 ½ hr. remove it prick the skin again and cook at 500 deg. for 15 more minutes. The second reverses the process, starting the duck at 425 deg. for 30 min. then pricking the skin again and coking for 2 hr. at 325 deg. Both are designed to render the finished bird with a crisp skin. Several recipes even advise broiling at the end to further crisp it.

Squash Crisp: Serves 4 From Homemade Magazine- This can be a side dish, a vegan entrée or add ground beef, pork chicken  or turkey.

2 lb. butternut squash- peeled, seeded and in 1 inch cubes 

4 Tbs. butter divided

1 cup chopped onion

2 cups toasted bread cubes- stuffing mix is good

1 tsp. crushed dried rosemary

¼ cup chopped walnuts

Salt and pepper

Simmer the squash in water until tender, about 7 min., drain and toss in a 3 quart casserole dish with 1 Tbs. butter and salt and pepper to taste. Sauté onion in remaining butter until tender, about 5 min. Add bread and rosemary and cook about 2 min. more tossing to coat bread with butter. Stir in walnuts and spoon over squash. Bake in a 400 deg. oven until bread is browned. Toss before serving.