Indian Summer Stew With White Beans, Chicken & Kale

For most chicken soups, I prefer to make them the day after I have made a whole roast chicken.  I use the bones to make homemade broth, and the leftover meat goes in the soup.  If I have any leftover gravy it goes in the soup as well.  No-waste cooking is great for the budget, and in this case, is the secret to getting the most flavor into  your bowl.  If you want to make a vegetarian version, or have not roasted a chicken lately, just remember to start with a good quality stock and make sure to roast the vegetables long enough to bring out the rich caramelized sugars.  When using homemade stock or gravy in this soup, remember to skim the fats from the broth or drippings as much as possible in order to keep the soup from being too heavy.

Ingredients: 4 small kohlrabi bulbs, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces 2 medium sweet peppers, seeded and chopped into 1-inch pieces 2 carrots, trimmed and coarsely chopped Canola oil

3 stalks of celery, chopped 1 yellow onion, diced 4-6 garlic cloves, peeled and diced

1- inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated 1 tsp paprika 1/4 tsp ground cumin 1/8 tsp white pepper

8-10 cups of chicken broth or stock 2 bay leaves

5 curly kale, kohlrabi, or collard leaves, (stems removed) washed and chopped About 2 cups of cooked chicken, chopped 1 lb white navy beans (dry), soaked, cooked until tender and drained Sea salt and black pepper Juice from 1 lemon Diced fresh tomato and hot sauce for garnish (optional)

Method: Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Place the chopped kohlrabi, sweet peppers and carrots in a baking dish.  Toss with a little oil and season with sea salt.  Bake for about 45 minutes, or until the vegetables begin to brown on the tips.  While the vegetables are baking, saute the chopped celery, onion and garlic with a little oil in a large stock pot.  When they are tender, add the paprika, cumin, white pepper, 6 cups of broth, roasted kohlrabi, sweet peppers and carrots.  Stir to combine, then remove from heat.  Puree with an immersion blender.  Add the bay leaves and lemon juice.  Season with salt and black pepper to taste.  Simmer for about 30 minutes.  Add the chopped greens, beans and chicken.  Simmer until the greens are tender.  Serve with ripe diced tomatoes and your favorite hot sauce.

Savory Winter Squash Soufflé

Served with Prosciutto, arugula, goat cheese with lemon & herbs, and a drizzle of white wine vinegar & olive oil.

I have seen photos of perfectly-puffed soufflé, so I know the highly puffed recipes must exist. But by the time I slid this baby onto the plate without burning my fingers, I had about 30 seconds to snap away before it began to sink in the middle.  I was wishing for a mini Julia Child angel on my shoulder to help me with my puffiness problem, that is, until I tasted the finished product.  Bowl-shaped or not, this savory fall soufflé is light and full of flavor. If you are interested in a dairy-free version, I tried this recipe with a mixture of unsweetened soy milk and lower-fat coconut milk, and omitted the cheese.  It was delicious. For other preparation tips, in Mark Bittman's How To Cook Everything, the basics of Savory Soufflé recipe is a great  guideline for first-timers.

Ingredients: 1 small butternut squash (or other dense winter squash, like acorn or kabocha. Also can substitute two medium sweet potatoes) Olive or canola oil Freshly ground nutmeg 4 Tbs butter or Toasted Garlic Drizzling Oil 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 1 1/2 cups milk (can substitute unsweetened soy milk, or reduced fat coconut milk) 6 farm-fresh local eggs, separated 1 tsp french mustard 1 Tbs fresh thyme, minced 1 tsp paprika or cayenne pepper 2 green onions, chopped 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese (optional) Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Peel and seed the squash (or peel the sweet potatoes), cut into 1-inch cubes and place in a glass baking dish.  Toss with a little olive or canola oil and season with sea salt, black pepper and a little freshly ground nutmeg.  Bake for about 1 hour.  While the squash is baking, gather the other ingredients so they are ready for the next step.  When the squash is cooked, mash well with a fork.  It should measure about 1 cup mashed.

Next heat the Toasted Garlic Drizzling Oil or butter in a medium saucepan.  If using butter, you will need to cook it on medium heat until the water evaporates and the solids have separated.  Make a roux by adding the flour and cooking until it begins to brown, (If using oil, it may only darken slightly).  Slowly pour the milk into the pan and stir constantly with a whisk for a couple of minutes to keep it from going lumpy. It will be like a thick, southern white gravy at this point. Remove from the heat and let cool enough that you can comfortably insert a finger without it burning.  Stir in the egg yolks until smooth, then add the mashed squash, mustard, thyme, paprika, green onions and shredded cheese (if desired).  Stir until combined evenly.  If you are not squeamish about raw eggs, taste the mixture and adjust seasonings to taste.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and butter eight 4-inch ramekins, or one large soufflé dish.  In a glass or metal bowl, whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form.  Transfer the squash mixture to a large bowl and fold in 1/3 of the egg whites with a rubber spoon-shaped spatula. Slowly and gently fold in the rest of the egg whites until it is fairly evenly combined, but take care not to over-mix the batter or your soufflé will be flat.  Spoon the batter into the ramekins or the soufflé dish and place on a baking sheet in the center of the oven.  Bake the small ramekins for about 20 minutes, the large soufflé may take 30-40 minutes.  It is done when the top has browned and it is set, but still somewhat soft.  If it jiggles when you check it, give it a few minutes more. When they are done, serve immediately.

Fall Veggie Burgers With Black Bean & Sweet Potato

The Spring Veggie Burger recipe is a fantastic staple for quick meals, and this seasonal reprise is a delicious variation.  It has a sweeter flavor combination with apples and sweet potatoes, and a great balance of proteins with black beans and pecans.  Serve on a freshly baked bun with fresh arugula, Basil Garlic Aioli, and Roasted Tomatoes & Peppers seasoned with chipotle chile pepper or smoked serrano pepper.

Ingredients: (Recipe for about 3 dozen burgers) About 4 cups cooked black beans, or three 15-oz cans (drained and rinsed) 1 cup dry wild rice or quinoa, cooked with Rapunzel vegetable bouillon until tender 3 bunches of greens (kale, collards, kohlrabi greens, etc.), stems trimmed, blanched and chopped finely 2 kohlrabi bulbs, peeled and diced small 1 bunch of radishes, trimmed and diced small A 3-inch piece of fresh ginger root, peeled and grated 1 large, or two medium sweet potatoes, finely chopped About 2 cups of shiitake mushrooms, stems removed & finely chopped 1 apple, finely chopped 1 large sweet onion, finely chopped 12 medium cloves of garlic, peeled and minced or crushed 2 cups ground pecans 1 Tbs dried or fresh thyme 1 tsp ground allspice 1/2 tsp ground cloves Black or red pepper to taste 1 cup fresh breadcrumbs 1 cup whole wheat flour Juice from one lemon 2 farm fresh eggs 1/2 cup olive oil 1 Tbs sea salt

Method: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line baking sheets with oiled parchment paper. Add all ingredients to a large bowl in the order listed. (You can prepare some ahead of time if desired.) Combine well, then form into patties (or make balls, then press gently on the baking sheet until it forms a patty.)  Bake on oiled and lined baking sheets for about 30 minutes.  Let rest for 10 minutes before serving, or until cool before storing.  (The burgers will be quite crumbly when they first come out of the oven, but are firm enough to move once they have cooled.) Gently remove the burgers from the baking sheet with a spatula and place in freezer bags or containers, with parchment paper between each layer. Warm in a skillet, toaster oven, or microwave oven before serving.

Preparation suggestions: All of the vegetables can be chopped in a food processor, but I like to hand-dice the radishes and kohlrabi a little larger so the burgers have a little crunch and texture. For the sweet potatoes, mushrooms, apple, onion and garlic, however, it's easier to chop them finely in a food processor.  You can leave the skins on the sweet potatoes and apples, so no need to do any peeling beforehand.  If you tried the Spring Veggie Burger recipe earlier this year, you will notice that this one has a slightly different texture.  There is a lot of moisture in the fall veggies, so you have to make sure you don't salt the mixture too soon.  The salt will cause the vegetables to release their juices, so you may want to add it just before you begin to form the patties. Also, the parchment or waxed paper is essential. Since the sugars in the sweet potatoes and apples will caramelize while baking, and therefore stick to the pan if the parchment is not used.

Lamb Stuffed Greens With Balsamic Cherry Tomatoes

This is a variation on cabbage rolls, or even a stuffed grape leaves idea.  If you have a favorite stuffing for such things, I'm sure they would be nice inside these leafy greens as well.  In this recipe, many of the items in this season's share are used.  I have fresh herbs in my garden, but I would imagine a zesty or flavorful dried seasoning blend would be nice too.  One thing to keep in mind is that the leaves will extract a lot of flavor from the stuffing. Be sure to season it generously so it does not end up tasting bland. Ingredients: About two dozen large leafy greens, (kohlrabi greens, collards, or napa cabbage work well) 1 lb ground leg of lamb 1/2 cup (dry) quinoa, cooked with broth or stock until tender 1 sweet onion, minced 6 cloves of garlic, minced or pressed 1 large sweet pepper, diced 1 medium tomato, diced Fresh hot peppers (to taste), diced Fresh rosemary, sage and thyme (to taste), minced 6 oz tomato paste 4 slices of dry toast, ground into bread crumbs 1-2 cups lamb stock 1-2 cups cherry tomatoes or diced tomato 1 cup balsamic vinegar Sea salt & pepper, to taste

Method: Boil about 8 quarts of water in a large stock pot.  Dunk the washed and trimmed greens in the pot and boil for about one minute. Gently lift the leaves out of the boiling water (as to not tear them) and place in a bowl of ice-cold water.  When cool, remove from the water and let drain in a colander. Next, combine the lamb, cooked quinoa, onion, garlic, sweet pepper, tomato, hot peppers, herbs, tomato paste, bread crumbs, about one tablespoon of salt, and some freshly ground black pepper.  Take about 1/4 cup of the stuffing and place at the base of each leaf (they may require more or less, depending on the size of the leaves.) Roll from the base of the leaves to the tips, tucking the sides in as you go so the stuffing is completely encapsulated in the leaves.  Place snugly in a glass or ceramic baking dish and pour the lamb stock over the rolls.  Cover with an ovenproof lid or aluminum foil and bake at 375 degrees for one hour. After removing the rolls from the oven, let rest for 15 minutes before serving.

While the rolls are baking, place the cherry tomatoes and balsamic vinegar in a skillet and saute until the tomatoes have burst and the vinegar and juices have reduced a little. When the tomato and vinegar begin to caramelize, remove from the heat. Salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle the warm tomato and vinegar reduction over the lamb rolls before serving.

Baked Apples With Chestnut Puree & Cocoa Nibs

How exciting to find chestnuts at the Main Street Farmer's Market!  The Chattanooga Chestnut Tree Project is lead by UTC agriculture researchers who are working to restore the American Chestnut to the lower Appalachian region, while also supporting farmers who are looking for improved cultivars to grow in local chestnut orchards. These local beauties inspired a delicious afternoon snack or light dessert when paired with  this season's apple harvest.  You can use the chestnut puree as a dip for freshly sliced apples, or dress it up as a baked dessert. Either way, they pair well as a tasty seasonal treat.

Chestnut Puree: 1 lb fresh chestnuts 1-2 teaspoons local honey 1 1/2 cups milk, cream or coconut milk Juice from 1/2 lemon Freshly grated nutmeg (about 1/8 of a nut) Dash of ground ginger Dash of cloves Pinch of salt

Cut the chestnuts in half across the widest part and place in a saucepan.  Cover with water and boil for about 20 minutes.  The skins should slip off or peel easily.  Once the skins are removed, place the chestnuts in a blender or food processor, along with the other ingredients.  Puree until smooth.  Adjust spices, honey or lemon to taste.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Slice the apples (peel if desired) and place in a lightly oiled or buttered glass baking dish.  Bake until tender (about 15-20 minutes).  Serve warm with chestnut puree, drizzled honey and a sprinkle of cocoa nibs (can be found at Greenlife or Earth Fare).