From the Hearth

Harvest Favorites

The idea of celebrating the harvest dates back over two thousand years and across many cultures. Ancient Romans had a fall celebration for Pomona, who was often depicted crowned with a wreath of apples and holding luscious fruits in her arms. Feudal England introduced the idea of the harvest feast, given by the Lord of the Manor to as a thank you to his hard working laborers at the end of the harvest. Many years later, Canadians and Americans set aside their own individual Thanksgiving holidays to give thanks for their abundant bounty.

Nowadays, we are no longer reliant on home grown crops as a staple of our food supply. Supermarkets can import out of season fruits and vegetables to your doorstep any time of the year. The downside of that is that the longer it takes for the food to travel, it loses flavor and valuable freshness. Whenever possible, you might look into local farmer's markets or products that are grown locally- the difference in taste can be incredible.

The cooler temperatures and new vegetables in season often lend to a heartier menu. A warm salad or creamy soup can ward off the brisk evening chill. Ripe apples and pears can be used in a variety of dishes, from desserts to accompanying roast meats. Winter squash and pumpkin accented with spices provide satisfying, comforting foods. Harvest time can be a wonderful time to sample some of the local crops- here are some wonderful seasonal recipes that work well together, or can easily be added to one of your family's favorite meals as a delicious reminder of autumn.

Warm Spinach Salad with Orange and Bacon

4 slices bacon
1/4 cup cider vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt (kosher)
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
handful diced celery
1 red onion, sliced and rings separated
8 cups fresh spinach leaves, washed and dried
1 can mandarin orange sections, drained
handful of dried cranberries
handful of chopped walnuts

1. In a 3 quart casserole, snip the bacon into 1-inch pieces. Cover and microwave on high until crisp. With a slotted spoon, place the bacon on a paper towel to drain.

2. Add vinegar, sugar, salt, pepper to the casserole dish, stir and microwave for 2 minutes.

3. Stir in the celery and onion. Add in small amounts of spinach, toss to coat each leaf. Top with bacon, orange sections, cranberries and walnuts. Toss gently till spinach is warmed and wilted. Serve immediately.

Roasted Squash Soup with Apples

6 tablespoons chopped onion
4 tablespoons butter
3 pounds butternut squash, halved and seeded
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and cubed
3 cups low sodium, low fat chicken broth
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
6 ounces low fat cream cheese, cubed

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease a baking dish, place the squash cut side down. Pierce squash in several places with sharp knife. Bake for approximately 45 minutes or until flesh is tender.

2. Scoop out the cooked squash when cool enough to handle. Discard peel.

3. In a large saucepan, saute onions in butter until tender. Add apple cubes, chicken broth, ginger, black pepper and cayenne pepper. Cook until apples are tender.

4. The easiest way to do the next step is with a hand held blender (less dishes to wash, too!). Add in squash and cream cheese cubes. Use hand held blender to puree the soup. If you don't have a hand held blender, puree the soup in batches with a food processor or blender. Heat soup again right before serving- do not boil.

Pumpkin Risotto

2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup chopped shallots
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 small pumpkin, seeded and cubed
2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
2 cups arborio rice
6 cups chicken broth, plus a little more if necessary
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Wrap pumpkin cubes in foil and bake at 400°F for 30 minutes. Puree the pumpkin in a blender.

2. Heat the broth in a medium saucepan over moderately low heat and keep at a simmer.

3. In a large saucepan, heat the oil over moderate heat. Saute the shallots and garlic until tender (only a couple of minutes).

4. Add the two cups of uncooked rice, and saute for two minutes, stirring often. Don't brown the rice- just stir fry it until it is no longer translucent. Add the wine and stir, letting the rice absorb the wine and cooking off any excess.

5. Slowly add the broth, about 1/2 cup at a time, stirring almost constantly. Let the rice absorb the broth before adding another 1/2 cup- so that the rice is almost dry before adding more broth. Keep adding broth until the risotto is cooked (about 17-20 minutes). The risotto should be creamy and the rice itself is barely tender.

6. Stir in the pumpkin puree and allow it to heat a few minutes. Remove from heat and add cheese, salt and pepper. Top with chopped sage before serving.

Smashed Sweet Potatoes with Ginger and Cinnamon

5 sweet potatoes, peeled and quartered
milk (amount varies depending on preference)
1/4 cup butter
1 teaspoon minced peeled fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
salt to taste

1. Place sweet potato quarters into pot of boiling salted water, and cook until fork tender (about 15 minutes).

2. Drain and allow the potatoes to cool slightly. In a bowl, place potatoes, ginger, butter, and add a few tablespoons of milk. Hand mash, or use a mixer to whip. Add additional milk as needed.

3. As the potatoes reach the right consistency, stir in cinnamon and salt.

Pear Chutney

4 cups chopped peeled Anjou pears (approx. 4 or 5 pears)
1 ¼ cups diced onion
1 cup chopped pitted dried plumbs (prunes)
2/3 cup sugar
3/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1.Place all ingredients in heavy large saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low to low; simmer 35 to 45 minutes or until slightly thickened.

2. Cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Marinated Pork Roast with Pear Glaze

2 cloves garlic - peeled and minced
1/2 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons orange juice
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons dry Coleman’s mustard
2 teaspoons thyme
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 boneless pork loin [5 to 6 pounds]
1 [10 ounce] jar of pear jam

1. Combine garlic, orange juice [1/2 cup], 1/2 cup soy sauce, mustard, thyme, ginger. Blend well. Arrange pork loin in a deep bowl or dish; pour marinade over pork. Cover and refrigerate for 2 days, turning meat frequently.

2. Remove meat from marinade. Insert meat thermometer into center of roast, away from fat. Arrange roast on a rack in a shallow roasting pan and bake in oven at 325 degrees F. for 2 to 3 hours, or until thermometer reaches 170 degrees.

3. In a sauce pan, combine jam, 2 tablespoons orange juice, 1 tablespoon soy sauce. Heat until bubbly hot. Serve sauce over the roast after slicing. Arrange chutney as side garnish, along with fresh pear slices.

Pumpkin-Pecan Cheesecake with Carmel Topping

Crust:
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon brown sugar

Filling:
1 cup chopped pecans, divided in two 1/2 cup piles
3 (8oz) pkg. Cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
3 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 (15oz) can pure pumpkin filling
1 (18 oz) container caramel dip for apples (or you can melt a bag of caramels)

1. Place one oven rack in lowest position in oven; place second oven rack in center of oven. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 9-inch spring form pan- line outside of pan with foil.

2. In medium bowl, stir together all crust ingredients. Press into bottom of spring form pan. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of the pecans over crust. Bake 5 minutes; remove from oven. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees F.

3. In large bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla at medium speed until smooth and creamy. Reserve 1 cup of the batter. Beat pumpkin puree and cinnamon into batter in large bowl until well blended. Pour into crust. Evenly spread reserved batter over filling.

4. Fill shallow roasting pan with water; place on the bottom oven rack. Bake cheesecake at 325 degrees F. on middle oven rack 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 20 minutes or until edges are puffed and top looks dull and is dry to the touch. Center should be less set than edges and will move when pan is tapped. It should not ripple as liquid.

5. Cool on wire rack 1 hour. Spread caramel dip over top once cooled; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup pecans. Refrigerate overnight or until well-chilled. To serve, wipe knife with damp cloth after cutting each slice to keep edges neat. Refrigerate leftovers.

Serves 16

If anyone would care to submit one of their favorite recipes, this one can be reached at kaylee{G}