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Fall Favorites

A little over two weeks ago, we welcomed our tiny daughter into the world.

It’s crazy how time flies. She’s only be here for 2 weeks, and she’s already changed so much. Truth be told, I’ve changed a lot in the past couple of weeks as well. I had no idea that it was possible to be so utterly exhausted and completely in love, all at the same time. Parenthood is strange like that.

With that being said, I’ve not been doing a whole lot of cooking lately. Really, haven’t needed to cook because our friends and family have been so generous and have been bringing us meals (and cleaning our house, and supplying us with tiny baby clothes and diapers…) I know I’ll get back in the kitchen eventually, but for now it’s nice to rest and relax and allow others to help us while we adjust to this crazy thing called parenthood.

I’m sure I’ll be back in the kitchen soon enough. For now, I’m happy to drool over recipes and photos on Pinterest and plot out all the amazing things I’m going to make this fall and winter. Since I’ve been keeping a list, I thought I’d share it with you. Some of these are my own recipes, and some of these are recipes I found online. They’re all warm and comforting and perfect for Fall. Enjoy!

Here’s a few fall recipes from my own archives:

Harissa-Stewed Butternut Squash

Cream of Chanterelle Soup

Pumpkin and Kale Salad with Tahini Dressing

Pumpkin Pancakes with Cream Cheese Butter

Slow Cooker Apple Butter

Lentil and Sweet Potato Soup with Cilantro and Bacon

Spiced Cranberry and Pear Compote

Shepherd’s Pie with Potato, Parsnip, and Goat Cheese Mash

And here’s a few favorite fall recipes from friends across the web:

Curried Coconut Cauliflower Soup from Lunch Box Bunch

Leek, Fennel, Apple + Walnut Soup with Turmeric from The First Mess

Tomato and Coconut Curry with Delicata Squash and Kale from So Let’s Hang Out

Pumpkin Cheesecake Tart with Gingersnap Crust from Saveur

Warm Brussels Caesar with Bacon Cibatta Croutons from How Sweet it Is

Rainbow Chard and Roasted Pear Salad from Brooklyn Supper

Pumpkin Creme Fraiche Spaghetti with Fried Sage from Café Johnsonia

Hello, World.

At 7:07 am on October 18th, we welcomed little Margot Louise into the world. She arrived promptly on her due date, and weighed 5lbs and 11oz.

She is tiny and perfect and we are completely in love with her.

I’ll be back to food and recipes and writing shortly, but for now I’m taking a little time to just be with my family.

Slow Cooker Pumpkin Curry

The last few years, I’ve had relatively rotten luck with my garden. First, there are the evil crows in my neighborhood that take great delight in eating all my seeds and sprouts. (And these crows are smart! So smart, in fact, that I’m a little paranoid that they might read this blog post and punish me for it.) In addition, all the neighborhood cats think my raised beds are giant litter boxes. And, to be quite honest, I just don’t have the gift of a green thumb. I can grow herbs, greens, zucchini, and tomatoes. That’s about it.

Last year, I planted an heirloom pumpkin in my backyard. It was a gorgeous blue pumpkin, and it grew phenomenally well. It was the first time I’d planted pumpkin, and I was shocked. However, one day I came home to find that my beautiful blue pumpkin had met an untimely death. Our landlords had hired someone to trim the hedges in our backyard, and the trimmers somehow managed to stomp my poor pumpkin to death. There was no salvaging the plant or the fruit, the pumpkin was gone. I was crushed.

After the great pumpkin debacle of 2013, I wasn’t even sure I wanted to attempt growing pumpkins again. But, I decided to give it one more shot. I planted one little sugar pie pumpkin plant in my front garden (nowhere near the hedges!). Despite my best attempts to kill my garden (read: it was a very hot summer and I was very pregnant), I did manage to grow a few things this year, including one adorable little pumpkin.

I thought long and hard about what I wanted to do with my one adorable little pumpkin. I probably should have made a pie with it – after all, it is a sugar pie pumpkin – but, pies just aren’t my strong suit. And I wanted to make something out-of-the-ordinary. Something unexpected. So, I made curry with my one little garden pumpkin. And you know what? Pumpkin curry was a great decision. It was everything I hoped it would be — sweet, savory, and spicy. It was rich and comforting, and the perfect meal for a chilly fall evening. (And we ended up with plenty of leftovers that I froze for post-baby meals! Win!).

The moral of the story is: when life hands you a pumpkin, make curry. The end.

Slow Cooker Pumpkin Curry

Adapted from Table for Two Blog

Ingredients

1 can (15 oz) of coconut milk
2 cups pumpkin puree**
1 cup chicken or vegetable stock
2 teaspoons yellow curry powder
1 teaspoon turmeric
2 teaspoons garam masala
1 teaspoon sambal oelek (red chili garlic paste, or sub Sriracha hot sauce)
1 teaspoon fish sauce
Salt & pepper, to taste
1 yellow onion, peeled and diced
1 garlic clove, minced
2 carrots, roughly chopped
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 red potatoes, washed and cubed
3 chicken thighs
1 cup frozen peas
Optional garnishes: Cilantro, plain yogurt, Sriracha

Instructions

In the bowl of your slow cooker, mix together the coconut milk, stock, sambal, fish sauce, pumpkin puree and spices. Once combined, add in the garlic, onions, carrots, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and whole chicken thighs.
Cook on low for 6 hours, or the vegetables and chicken are cooked all the way through and the curry is thick and rich. (The chicken should be tender and fall apart on its own, or you can help it along and shred with a fork.) Add in the peas 15-20 minutes before serving, stirring to combine. Allow the peas to heat all the way through before serving.
Serve curry with basmati rice, and garnish with Sriracha, cilantro, and plain yogurt if desired.
Note: After 6 hours in the slow cooker, the curry liquid was still a little thin for my liking, so I transferred it to a Dutch oven and finished it on the stovetop. I cooked it over medium-high for 15-20 minutes and let it reduce until it was quick thick. It turned out perfectly!

Notes

**To make your own pumpkin puree, simply cut a small pumpkin in half. Remove stem and scoop out the seeds (leave the skin on). Brush pumpkin flesh with olive oil. Roast (flesh side down) on a lined baking sheet in a 400(F) oven for 35-45 minutes, or until pumpkin is soft and roasted all the way through. Scoop the roast pumpkin out of the skin and puree in a food processor or blender until smooth.

http://rosemarried.co/2014/10/12/slow-cooker-pumpkin-curry/

Sweet Cream Biscuits with Roasted Plums and Chai Infused Whipped Cream

When it comes to making biscuits, there are two ways to go about it. There’s the classic Buttermilk Biscuit, and there’s the Sweet Cream Biscuit. Buttermilk biscuits are typically made with buttermilk, and lots (and lots) of butter. Sweet cream biscuits, on the other hand, opt for heavy cream instead of buttermilk and butter. Buttermilk biscuits tend to be a bit lighter and flakier, while sweet cream biscuits are slightly more scone-like. The real selling point of sweet cream biscuits is that they come together in minutes, and are incredibly easy to make. Each biscuit has their merits, and people tend to have very strong opinions when it comes to their preferred type of biscuit.

As for me, I’ve always favored the buttermilk biscuit. They’re buttery, pillowy, flaky, and perfect. To be fair, however, I’d never really given the sweet cream biscuit a chance. I’ve always defaulted to making biscuits with butter, and I’d never even attempted to make sweet cream biscuits.

Until now, that is.

A few weeks ago, I bought a whole bunch of Italian Prune Plums at the farmer’s market. (If you’ve not tried Italian Prune Plums, they are so incredibly delicious. And they are currently in season! Go get em!) Anyway, I got home with my giant bag of plums and realized I didn’t exactly know what to do with all my plums. So, I starting perusing the interwebs for ideas, and I stumbled upon my friend Michelle’s recipe for Sweet Cream Biscuits with Earl Grey Whipped Cream and Plum Jam. I was intrigued and delighted by the recipe, and knew I needed to make my own version.

So, I started by baking a batch of sweet cream biscuits. (I had to know what all the fuss was about, after all. Turns out, they’re totally awesome.) Since I was working with fresh plums (as opposed to plum jam), I had the idea to roast the plums with a bit of brown sugar and olive oil. Lastly, I didn’t have any Earl Grey tea, but I did have a tin of loose leaf Masala Chai Tea. Bingo. And that’s how this dessert was born.

Please note, this dessert is best eaten fresh! Biscuits are a type of quick bread, and they generally don’t keep well. Biscuits really are best the day they are baked, but they’re ok the next day if warmed or toasted. In general, however, I recommend you make this recipe the day you plan on eating it. (The plums and whipped cream, however, keep nicely in the fridge and are delicious for breakfast the next day…)

Sweet Cream Biscuits with Roasted Plums and Chai Infused Whipped Cream

Serving Size: Makes 8-10 biscuits

Ingredients

For the Sweet Cream Biscuits:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
3 teaspoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/4 cups plus 1 tablespoon heavy cream, chilled
For the Chai Spiced Whipped Cream:
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons loose-leaf Chai tea
2 teaspoons powdered sugar
For the Roasted Plums:
Several ripe Italian prune plums (8-10)
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon light brown sugar

Instructions

To make the Chai whipped cream: In a small bowl or jar, combine 1 cup of whipping cream with the loose leaf Chai tea. Gently stir together and cover the container, and allow to steep in the fridge for 1 hour or more.
After the whipped cream has steeped for an hour, strain out the tea leaves (using a mesh sieve or cheesecloth). Pour the cream into a medium sized bowl (or the bowl of your stand mixer) and add the powdered sugar. Using an electric mixer (or stand mixer), beat the cream on medium-high speed until soft peaks form.
To roast the plums: Preheat oven to 400 F. Wash and halve the plums, removing the pits. Toss plum halves with olive oil and brown sugar. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until plums are browning and releasing their juices. Remove from oven and set aside until use.
To make the Sweet Cream Biscuits: Preheat the oven to 425F. Line a baking sheet with parchment or a Silpat.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt until well combined. Pour one cup of the cream over the dry ingredients, using a fork (or your hands) to gently mix the ingredients together. If the mixture is too dry, add more cream, one spoonful at a time, until the dough is soft and moist. Using your hands, gently knead the dough until it just comes together. (Be careful not to overknead!)
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Lightly pat the dough into a disc with your hands, until it is 1/2″ thick. (Once again, be sure not overwork the dough!)
Using a biscuit cutter (or juice glass!), cut out the biscuit circles. Be sure to cut the biscuits close together, and get as many as you can from this round. Transfer the biscuits to the prepared baking sheet. Gather the remaining scraps together and gently pat into another 1/2″ disc and cut out another batch of biscuits. (Note: only repeat this process once. Toss any remaining scraps, as dough will be too overworked at this point.)
Once you’ve cut out all your biscuits and placed them on baking sheets, brush the tops of the biscuits with cream. (Optional: you can also sprinkle a bit of sugar atop each biscuit, which I think looks rather pretty.) Bake at 425 for 15-18 minutes, or until the biscuits are fluffy and golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool slightly before serving.

Notes

Adapted from Hummingbird High

http://rosemarried.co/2014/10/07/sweet-cream-biscuits-roasted-plums-chai-infused-whipped-cream/

Brussels Sprout Soba Salad with Fish Sauce and Mint

I’ll just come right out and say it: This is a David Chang recipe.

Really, all I did was take his genius recipe and fiddle with it a bit. I made the sprouts and the sauce, mostly to his specifications. Then, I made some buckwheat soba noodles according to the package directions. Lastly, I tossed the soba noodles with the sprouts and sauce. It wasn’t rocket science, but it did make for a quick and tasty dinner.

Since I didn’t deviate much from the original recipe, there’s no point in posting it here. If you want to know how to make David Chang’s amazing Brussels Sprouts with Fish Sauce and Mint, just head on over to Food & Wine Magazine. However, I will leave you with a few notes on my adaptation of the recipe.

If you plan on making this Brussels sprout soba salad, here are a few notes:

*First off, this recipe translates nicely into a cold soba salad. In addition to making Chang’s sprouts, you just need to cook up a few buckwheat soba noodles (according to package directions) and toss the sauced sprouts with the noodles. I let the noodles and sprouts cool a bit, and ate the salad at room temp. However, the cold leftovers the next day were even better.

*I found Chang’s recipe to be a litttttttle too fish saucy for my tastes, so I dialed back the fish sauce just a bit and upped the lime juice. I also added thinly sliced green onions to the salad, for kicks.

*The spicy rice crispies are awesome. Don’t skip this step. Make them. Just don’t toss them in/on the salad until you’re ready to serve or they’ll get soggy.

*I didn’t have a red chile on hand, so I substituted a jalapeño from my garden. This was a great idea in theory, but that particular jalapeño was face-meltingly spicy. Thankfully, I didn’t put the whole darn pepper in the sauce (otherwise, it would have been completely inedible).

*The recipe on Food & Wine calls for ‘boiled’ Brussels sprouts, but doesn’t specify any boiling instructions. In my opinion, you really don’t want soggy/overcooked Brussels sprouts! I just blanched mine in boiling water for 2 minutes, then doused the sprouts in an ice bath. This just softens the sprouts and gets them ready for a good charring in the skillet!

And, that’s all I gotta say about this Brussels Sprout Soba Salad! It’s a spicy and simple weeknight meal, full of interesting and unique flavors. Bonus: it tastes even better the next day. Do it!

Peach Cornmeal Skillet Cake with Lavender

I’ve made this recipe a couple of times now, and finally took the time to stop and snap a couple of photos. That’s the problem with delicious desserts, you see. They disappear far too quickly to take photos.

Truth be told, however, this isn’t the most photogenic of cakes. Granted, this recipe is an adaptation of a Martha Stewart recipe. Of course, her version looks absolutely stunning. The peach slices are arranged with care, each one placed perfectly in line. The cake is baked in a skillet, but then is turned out onto a gorgeous serving board. It’s a Martha masterpiece.

peach and cornmeal skillet cake | rosemarried.com

My version isn’t nearly as pretty as Martha’s. And my baby bump accidentally made an appearance in most of the photos. Oops.

But, let’s be honest. Who has the time or the energy for that? I certainly don’t.

You know what I did? I sauteed the peach slices in a lot of butter (and sugar!) and left them in the bottom of the skillet. I didn’t arrange them whatsoever. I poured batter on top of the peaches and baked the cake. Then, I ate the cake straight out of the skillet. And you know what? It was damn near perfect. The cake was buttery and moist, and just bursting with juicy summer peaches. The lavender was subtle, yet present, and added a unique and surprising flavor to the cake. It was fantastic.

Sure, it might not be as pretty as Martha’s version, but that’s fine by me. I want to cook attainable food that tastes good. The reality is that most of us are busy people with jobs, kids, pets, sports, mortgages, and all sorts of other responsibilities. We simply don’t have the time to arrange peach slices in concentric circles. And that’s ok.

There’s a time and a place for pretty cakes with pretty peach slices. But there’s also a time for peach cornmeal skillet cakes that are simple, easy, and totally delicious. This is one of those times.

Peach Cornmeal Skillet Cake with Lavender

Serving Size: 8

Ingredients

1 stick (plus 3 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup light brown sugar
3-4 ripe peaches (skins on), sliced into 3/4″ wedges
1 cup coarse yellow cornmeal
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons dried lavender
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup heavy cream

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a 9″ or 10″ cast iron skillet, melt 3 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. When butter is bubbling and melted, add in peach slices, nutmeg, and 1/4 cup of the brown sugar, and stir to coat. Reduce heat to low, and allow peaches to cook until most of the juice has boiled off and peaches are beginning to caramelize, about 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from heat.
In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, lavender, and salt. In another bowl, beat the remaining butter with 3/4 cup of brown sugar on high speed. Beat until fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Reduce the speed to medium, and add in the eggs, one at a time. Scrape the sides of the bowl occasionally, and add in vanilla and cream.
Next, pour in the the cornmeal mixture, stirring just to combine. Pour batter over peach slices, using a spatula to spread the batter evenly.
Bake for 20-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove skillet from the oven, and allow cake to cool at least slightly before serving. (I highly recommend serving this cake with a heaping dollop of homemade whipped cream. It’s downright dreamy.)

Notes

Adapted from Martha Stewart

http://rosemarried.co/2014/09/15/peach-cornmeal-skillet-cake-lavender/

End of Summer Preserves: A Roundup of Canning Favorites and a Recipe for Quick Pickled Grapes!

As much as I hate to admit it, the end of summer is rapidly approaching. For some, it may already feel like summer is over. School is back in session, the days are getting shorter, and the nights are cool and crisp.

I can’t say I’m ready for summer to be over. I want to savor it for just a little bit longer. Thankfully, that’s the beauty of canning. I can literally bottle up the bounty of summer and store it in a jar, and enjoy the spoils of summer throughout the year.

That being said, I thought I would share some of my favorite summer canning recipes with you all. Fall is just around the corner, and now is the perfect time to put up your favorite summer fruits and vegetables. I’ve included a number of links to my own recipes, as well as a collection of recipes from friends and bloggers. Be sure to scroll all the way down, as I’ve also included a recipe for Quick Pickled Grapes from my friend Mary! (Bonus: if you’re in the Portland area, there’s also a PDX Food Swap on September 21st. You can trade your canned goods for other amazing homemade creations!)

Spicy Tomato Jam from Rosemarried

A few of my personal favorite canning + preserving recipes:

Blueberry Lavender Jam with Vanilla Bean

Raspberry Jalapeno Jam

Fire Roasted Tomato Sauce

Bourbon Pickled Peaches

24 Hour (Refrigerator) Dill Pickles

Spicy Tomato Jam

Slow Cooker Blueberry Plum Butter

Marionberry Jam from PDX Food Love

A few delightful canning recipes from friends and other bloggers:

Refrigerator Pickled Okra from Hip Girl’s Guide to Homemaking

Marionberry Jam from PDX Food Love

Summer’s End Stonefruits (This post contains a whole bunch of amazing recipes for preserving stone fruits from the lovely Kate Payne!)

Peach Sriracha Butter from Cake Walk

Salted Cantaloupe Jam from Back to Her Roots

Tomato Rhubarb Ketchup from Savory Simple

Vietnamese Pickled Vegetables from Use Real Butter

Honey Sweetened Apricot Thyme Jam from Marisa of Food in Jars (for Simple Bites)

And last, but certainly not least, we have a guest recipe from Mary Crowe of MaryEats.com. This recipe is quick, easy, and totally delicious. And, it’s a great way to make your grapes last longer! Go forth and pickle some grapes today!

Quick Pickled Grapes from MaryEats.com

Quick Pickled Grapes

Serving Size: Yields 6 half pints

A note about pickling spice: I love World Spice Merchant’s pickling blend. If you don’t have a blend, make your own with black pepper, a cinnamon stick, mace, yellow mustard seed, bay leaves, a dried small chile, allspice berries, a clove or two.

Recipe by Mary Crowe of MaryEats.com

Ingredients

1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1 cup sherry vinegar
1 tablespoon pickling spice
5 cups of grapes, washed and stemmed

Instructions

Wash all jars and lids in hot soapy water then rinse. Place clean jars on a cooling rack set inside a baking sheet. Evenly distribute the grapes between the jars, you want to leave 1-inch of head room.
In a saucepan, combine the water, sugar, vinegar and spices. Bring to a boil and remove from heat. Let brine steep for 10 minutes. Strain the liquid into a large glass measuring cup and discard the spices.
Evenly distribute the liquid among the jars leaving a bit of room at the top. Cap jars and store in the fridge.
Wait at least 24 hours before eating the grapes.
If you aren’t making to share with friends, you can use a large container instead of individual jars. Place all the grapes in one large container and pour liquid over before storing in the fridge.

http://rosemarried.co/2014/09/09/end-summer-canning-roundup/