FALL PLEASURES

Fall Pleasures

 

            It does not require the official date for fall equinox to get me in the mood for the changing of seasons. Granted, the rains and early frost warnings have had their influence, but frankly the overabundance of this year’s garden has practically worn me out. We should be well supplied for the winter with pickles, peach conserves and a freezer full of vegetables, some already in the form of curried soups or various medleys for huevos rancheros and other vegetable sauces. All of which of course will be better appreciated in January.

            An even better reason for seasonal change lies in anticipating the changing flavors of the season.  Bountiful fall apples from local orchards, the solid and substantial squashes of every stripe and color, the cheerful gold of pumpkins even on a rainy day,  all signal the welcoming reappearance of a warmth in the kitchen and on the table, that spell the comfort of home.

            We think of old favorite family recipes and dust off the crockpot. At the same time, the heady summer feeling is not quite gone and we appreciate the thought of updates for old favorites and occasionally find ourselves delighted with a dish that is so ‘out of the box’ to be incongruous and yet turns out to be utterly delicious.

            Recently, my thoughts had turned to that quintessential fall food sauerkraut and I was contemplating a necessary supply stop in at Morse’s. It must have been on my mind when we stopped for lunch at the Happy Clam, a German and coastal blend restaurant in Tennant’s Harbor. There on the menu was truly an item from ‘out of the box” thinking – Lobster Reuben.  Of course I had to try it and can report that the idiosyncratic, slightly tangy combination of fresh sauerkraut, sauce and tender chunks of lobster on a grilled rye sandwich are not only absolutely delicious, but could be addictive.  The traditional Maine’s lobster roll now has an inspired companion.

            Apples are everyone’s delight this time of the year. Somehow it seems that their shape and color alone make them the friendliest looking of all fruit and the juicy crunch of that first bite has a special appeal. Recipes for apple deserts abound from pies to muffins and cakes.  The simplest of recipes, which harkens back to my childhood memories, is an open faced flat yeast sweet dough cake, topped with overlapping apple slices slightly browned with sugar and cinnamon. The other day, being a bit short on time, I needed to improvise. Since sweet yeast dough takes at least a couple of hours to make, I simply took a shortcut and used some commercial Crescent roll dough, from the refrigerator.

                                                Sweet apple flat bread

            Line a 11x15 inch pan with parchment paper. Unroll the dough from 2 packages of Crescent Dough and spread out flat on the pan, fitting the pieces tightly with your fingers with no open seams. Prepare the topping mixing 1 scant cup of sugar with 1 tsp. cinnamon.  Pare and quarter 5 large Cortland or other firm apples, drop the quarters in 3 cups water with 1 Tblsp. lemon juice to prevent discoloration. Drain quarters and slice each quarter in 4-5 slices. Arrange the slices slightly overlapping in rows lengthwise along the dough on the pan. Drizzle with 1 Tblsp. lemon juice. Melt 4 Tblsp. butter and brush the apples with melted butter. Sprinkle the sugar topping over the apples, drizzle with any remaining butter and sprinkle with nutmeg. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. Serve cut in squares warm or cold. For a smaller cake use one package of Crescent dough and a 7x12 inch pan and cut the rest of the ingredients in half. The cake keeps well for a day or two.

            I still need to make that trip to Morses, since there is a sparerib and sauerkraut dinner on my list.

              (I. Winicov Harrington lives in Waldoboro and is the author of “How to Eat Healthy and Well for Less than $5.00 a Day: the Smart-Frugal Food Plan”; website: www.winicov-harrington.com)

IMPROMPTU SEASONAL GATHERINGS

Impromptu Seasonal Gatherings

            Unplanned gatherings with friends or family need not cause stress in the kitchen or the unnecessary reach for the phone for a pizza delivery. Our summer garden or farmer’s market bounty has likely spilled over the kitchen counter and crammed the refrigerator. At least so it seems at our house. Thus, with a little ingenuity and not too much effort it is possible to assemble a quick supper or luncheon that will please most everyone on rather short notice.

            Recently we had occasion to rise to some challenges in quick meal preparation and the results were tasty and worth sharing. Creativity and inspiration in flower arranging is often needed by the scarcity of large bouquets of flowers leading to the imaginative arranging of a few blooms or greens. This time of the year, in contrast, one needs to be creative with the abundance of some vegetables or fruit. And I do not mean the old jokes about leaving summer squash on your neighbors back doorstep.

            But yes, the backbone of one of those dishes is summer squash, preferably picked young, tender and yet firm. The trick here is minimal cooking, so that the texture remains pleasantly between the cooked vegetable and a salad.

                        Italian sausage – summer squash ring

            Grill 8 sweet or hot Italian sausages until cooked. Cut each in 3 pieces and keep warm.  Quarter 3 green and 2 yellow 8 in. summer squashes lengthwise and chop the quarters in less than 1 inch pieces. Quarter a medium onion and slice. Cut a seeded red pepper in strips about 1 inch long. In a large sauté pan heat 2 Tblsp. olive oil to hot, then stir in onion, pepper, 2 chopped garlic cloves and the squash. Sprinkle with 1 Tblsp. oregano, ½ tsp. red pepper and sauté with stirring for 2 minutes. Stir in ½ cup marinara sauce mixed with 1 Tblsp. balsamic vinegar and 1 tsp. fish sauce or soy sauce. Continue stirring for another minute until all liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat, stir in ½ cup chopped fresh parsley. To serve, pile the sausage pieces on a large rimmed platter and surround with a ring of the squash mixture. Sprinkle the vegetables with 4 oz. crumbled Feta cheese.  Serves 6-8.

            Amazingly enough, peaches do grow in Maine and local ripe peaches can be had this time of the year. We are fortunate to grow one of such trees in our yard and the aroma of a tree ripened peach can not be beat. There is a small wrinkle in all of this, namely one needs to outsmart the native chipmunks, who have the innate capacity for finding the ripest peaches each morning. But we have managed to have enough for a luscious peach crisp.

                        Peach crisp with almonds and raisins

            In a bowl prepare the crumble by mixing ½ cup rolled oats, ½ cup flour, ½ cup brown sugar (not packed), 1 tsp. cinnamon, ½ tsp. ginger and then cut in ¼ cup cold butter with a pastry cutter to form crumbs. Chill, while preparing the peaches. Scald peaches in boiling water for 30 seconds to facilitate removing the skin. Skin and pit the peaches and slice in a bowl tossing with 2 Tblsp. lemon juice and the zest of 1 lemon. You should have 4-5 cups sliced peaches. Toss the peaches with ¾ cups sugar mixed with 2 ½ Tblsp. cornstarch. Layer fruit in an 8 x 8 inch baking pan with ½ cup raisins and ¼ cup slivered almonds. Top with the crumble mix and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature, with or without whipped cream. 

There may be intimations of the coming fall in crisp morning air and the calendar unequivocally has declared the arrival of Labor day. But seasonal local bounty is sure to please.

(I. Winicov Harrington lives in Waldoboro and is the author of “How to Eat Healthy and Well for Less than $5.00 a Day: the Smart-Frugal Food Plan”; website: www.winicov-harrington.com)