Apple Chai SmoothiePear, Raspberry and Goat Cheese CrostiniGarden SoupAutumn Kale Salad with Fennel, Honeycrisp and Goat CheeseRoasted Chicken and Acorn Squash with Sumac Brown ButterSlow-Cooked Tex-Mex Stuffed PeppersPear-Berry Galette

Tasty Fall Recipes

Apples, pumpkins and squash, oh my! But, we certainly can’t forget about the pears, kale, brussels sprouts and so much more. Fall is here, and so is all the tasty produce it brings. Be sure to savor the fall flavors with these recipes using those items now in season.

If you have a favorite apple, pumpkin or fall recipe that you would like to share, we would love to hear from you! Recipes, with photo (and a short story/history), if available, can be submitted to ads@thedrummer.com.


Apple Chai Smoothie

1 apple, cored, peeled and chopped

1/2 c. rolled oats

1 T. Chai Tea powder mix

2 c. almond milk, divided

2 c. crushed ice

 

Peel and chop apple.  Throw away seeds and core and skin. Pour 1 cup almond milk into medium sized bowl, stir in oats. Add chai tea powder and apple. Stir. Let set in refrigerator overnight. Pour into blender with 1 cup of almond milk and ice.  Blend until smooth. Makes 4 6 oz servings.

 


Pear, Raspberry and Goat Cheese Crostini

1 whole grain baguette, or slices of whole wheat bread

Extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing

10 oz. log of goat cheese, at room temperature (not goat cheese crumbles)

2 ripe pears, cut into 1/4” thick slices

1/2 c. fresh raspberries

Honey, for drizzling

1 lemon, juiced

Freshly ground black pepper

Flaky or fine sea salt, optional (to taste)

 

Slice the baguette into 1/2-inch rounds. Brush both sides of each round with olive oil and grill on medium heat until the bread is toasted and light grill marks appear. Alternatively, you could toast the crostini in an oven preheated to 400 degrees F. for about 4 to 7 minutes, turning halfway. Or just toss the bread in the toaster and then brush the toast with olive oil.

Top each crostini with a smear of goat cheese, then a slice of pear and two raspberries. Drizzle a bit of honey and a light sprinkle of lemon juice over the top. Finish it with a light sprinkle of freshly ground black pepper and sea salt. 6 servings

 


Garden Soup

3 T. olive oil

2 each medium onions & carrots, thinly sliced

Top third of 2 stalks celery with their leaves, thin sliced

6 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tsp. each dry basil and sweet paprika

2 T. tomato paste

2 med. zucchinis, thinly sliced

Handful fresh spinach leaves, chopped

1 portobello mushroom, cap and stem washed and cut into 1/2-inch dice

1/2 of a large head green cabbage, chopped

6 to 8 cups broth (low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth)

1-1/2 cups (6 oz.) shredded Asiago or sharp cheddar cheese, optional

 

In a heavy 6-quart pot, combine the olive oil, onions, carrots, celery, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper, cover, and cook over medium low heat 15 minutes, or until the vegetables are wilted and aromatic. Stir often, and don’t let anything burn.

Uncover, raise heat to medium high, blend in the tomato paste, and basil and paprika. Cook about 3 minutes. Add remaining vegetables and the broth. Bring to a simmer, partially cover the pot, and cook 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender and soup is full flavored.

Serve in deep bowls, sprinkling each portion with some of the cheese, if desired. Optional: Serve with hot-crusted bread. Yields 4-6 servings

 


Autumn Kale Salad with Fennel, Honeycrisp, and Goat Cheese

Salad:

1 very lg. bunch of kale

1 med. Honeycrisp apple

1 med. bulb of fennel

3 oz. chilled goat cheese, crumbled (to yield about 1/3 c. crumbled goat cheese)

1/3 c. dried cranberries

1/4 c. pepitas (pumpkin seeds) or chopped pecans

 

Dressing:

1/4 c. olive oil

1 tsp. lemon zest

2 T. lemon juice

1 T. maple syrup

2 tsp. Dijon mustard

1/8 tsp. salt

Several twists of freshly ground black pepper

 

To prepare the kale: Use a chef’s knife to remove the tough ribs from the kale, then discard the ribs. Chop the kale leaves into small, bite-sized pieces. Transfer the chopped kale to a big salad bowl. Sprinkle a small pinch of sea salt over the kale and massage the leaves with your hands by lightly scrunching big handfuls at a time, until the leaves are darker in color and fragrant.

To prepare the remaining salad ingredients: Chop the apple into small, bite-sized pieces. Use a chef’s knife or mandolin to slice the fennel as thin as possible. Transfer the prepared apple and fennel to the salad bowl. Use a fork to crumble the goat cheese over the salad. Roughly chop the cranberries and add them to the bowl.

To toast the pepitas: In a skillet over medium-low heat, toast the nuts, tossing frequently, until fragrant and starting to make little popping noises, about 3 to 6 minutes. Transfer the pepitas to a bowl to cool.

To make the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together all of the dressing ingredients until emulsified.

To prepare the salad: Add the cooled pepitas to the salad bowl. Drizzle dressing over the salad, just enough to lightly coat the kale once tossed (you might have some leftover dressing). Toss the salad well. For best flavor, let the salad rest for 10 minutes before serving. Yields 4 side salads

 


Roasted Chicken and Acorn Squash with Sumac Brown Butter

4 chicken leg quarters (about 3-1/2 lbs.)

3-1/4 tsp. kosher salt, divided

4 tsp. lemon zest, divided

2 tsp. black pepper, divided

2 med. acorn squash, halved & cut into 1/2” slices

3 T. extra-virgin olive oil

3 thyme sprigs

2 T. unsalted butter

1 tsp. honey

1 tsp. ground sumac, divided

1 tsp. Aleppo pepper (Substitute with hot paprika, cayenne, or crushed red pepper flakes)

Fresh thyme leaves, for garnish

 

Place chicken on a rimmed baking sheet; sprinkle evenly with 2 teaspoons salt, 2 teaspoons lemon zest, and 1 teaspoon black pepper. Refrigerate, uncovered, 8 hours or overnight.

Let chicken come to room temperature, about 1 hour. Preheat oven to 450°F. Add acorn squash to baking sheet; drizzle chicken and squash with olive oil. Sprinkle squash with 1 teaspoon salt and remaining 1 teaspoon black pepper. Tuck thyme sprigs around chicken and squash.

Bake in preheated oven until a thermometer inserted in thickest portion of chicken registers 165°F and squash is tender, about 35 minutes. Transfer chicken and squash to a platter. Discard thyme sprigs; reserve pan juices.

Heat butter in a small saucepan over medium, stirring occasionally, until browned and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Scrape pan juices from baking sheet into saucepan. Whisk in honey, 1/2 teaspoon sumac, remaining 2 teaspoons lemon zest, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Drizzle over chicken and squash. Sprinkle with Aleppo pepper/substitute, thyme leaves, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon sumac. Yields 4 servings

 


Slow-Cooked Tex-Mex Stuffed Peppers

4 med. sweet red peppers

1 can (15 oz.) black beans, rinsed and drained

1 c. shredded pepper jack cheese

3/4 c. salsa

1 small onion, chopped

1/2 c. frozen corn

1/3 c. uncooked converted long grain rice

1-1/4 tsp. chili powder

1/2 tsp. ground cumin

Sour cream, optional

 

Cut and discard tops from peppers; remove seeds. In a large bowl, mix beans, cheese, salsa, onion, corn, rice, chili powder and cumin; spoon into peppers. Place in a 5-qt. slow cooker coated with cooking spray.

Cook, covered, on low until peppers are tender and filling is heated through, 3-4 hours. If desired, serve with sour cream. Yields 4 servings

 


Pear-Berry Galette

Crust:

3-1/2 c. flour

1 c. butter

1/2 c. water

3 tsp. sugar

1 T. honey

1 tsp. salt

3/4 tsp. nutmeg

 

Filling:

4 Pears

1 pt. pink gooseberries

1 pt. marionberries or blackberries

1/2 pt. raspberries

1 egg, whisked

1/2 c. sugar

2 T. plus 1 tsp. cornstarch

1 T. lemon juice

1 T. butter

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. vanilla extract

 

Begin by making the crust. Mix together all of the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Then cut the butter into pea-sized pieces over the dry ingredients. Add the water and honey to the bowl and knead the dough together with your hands until all of the ingredients are well-blended together and there are no chunks of butter left in the dough. Shape the dough into a ball, cover, and refrigerate it.

Now you can make the filling. Fill a medium-sized bowl with water and add the lemon juice to the water. Peel the pears and cut them into 1/4-inch-thick slices, making sure to cut out the cores. Place the slices in the lemon water as soon as you slice them, as this will help keep them from browning. Set them aside.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Take the dough out of the refrigerator and place it on a well-floured surface. Roll it out into a circular shape until it is about 1/3 inch thick. Transfer it onto a well-greased baking pan and set it aside.

Mix together all of the dry ingredients in a large flat bowl until completely blended. Drain the pear slices and pat them dry with a paper towel. Add the pear slices, berries, and vanilla extract to the bowl and toss them in the dry ingredients until they are evenly coated in the sugary mixture. Pour the filling onto the middle of the crust, leaving at least 3 inches of crust-space around the filling.

Fold the edges up over the filling and tear off any extra crust so that the crust border is no more than 4 inches wide, (this way you can expose more of the pretty filling). Cut up the teaspoon of butter into pea-sized pieces and evenly distribute them over the exposed surface of the filling. Place the galette in the oven and bake for 30 minutes, then remove it and lightly brush some of the whisked egg over the exposed surfaces of the crust. Place the galette back in the oven and bake for another 30 minutes, or until the crust is a nice and shiny golden brown. Remove the galette from the oven and allow it to cool for 45 minutes before serving.

 


Quote of the Week:

“It’s easier to fool people than to convince them that they have been fooled.”

~ Mark Twain

 

Publication: 

The Drummer and The Wright County Journal Press

PO Box 159
108 Central Ave.
Buffalo MN 55313

www.thedrummer.com

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