Written By Michael Vyskocil
If you have ever taken a bite of a ripe, delicious tomato plucked straight from the vine, you know that the taste is unforgettable. Fresh tomatoes are great served as a grilled appetizer, cooked into a sauce, sliced for sandwiches or used as a base for a simple salad, such as a cherry tomato salad. In autumn, farm stands and garden markets are overflowing with ripe and juicy fresh tomatoes, so you will have the opportunity of catching them at their very best.
Also at your local farm stand, you can find a dozen ears of the season’s finest sweet corn, among them Golden Bantam, Country Gentleman or Butter-and-Sugar corn, named after its mix of white and yellow kernels on the cob. The degree of sweetness is determined not by the color of the kernels but by the variety. Silver Queen, for example, is purportedly one of the sweetest sweet corn varieties. Ideally, you should cook corn within hours of picking, since the natural sugars quickly turn into starch the moment it is picked from the stalk. Of course, corn is delicious eaten right off the cob, but you can easily slice off the kernels and use them in recipes such as for corn fritters.
As fall begins, bushels of crisp, freshly picked apples appear at farmer’s markets. Did you know that there are more than 6,500 known varieties of apples in the world? If you were to try them all, you would have to eat a different apple a day for nearly 18 years.
More practically, you might sample a few different varieties each year (and think how delicious the job could be). Apples are great for baking, but they can be used for cooking as well, and when paired with juicy pork chops and sauted cabbage, you have the makings of a simple, luscious, apple harvest meal.
Finally, the the season would not be complete without tasting the sun-drenched goodness of a ripe peach. Although peaches are available in some grocery stores all year, the only time to eat a local peach is in late summer and early fall. Unlike apples and pears, peaches store all of their sugar while still growing on the tree. Once a peach is picked, the sugar production stops completely. Ideally, peaches should be eaten at the moment they are picked. But for those who can exercise a bit more restraint, you can use fresh peaches to make a tasty peach cobbler with cinnamon-sugar biscuits.
In celebration of the season, you can put together your own version of a down-home harvest dinner with the “crop” of recipes gathered below.
Peach Cobbler with Cinnamon-Sugar Biscuits
Makes 6 Servings (photo page 61)
Fresh summer peaches are combined with a hearty topping of cinnamon-sugar biscuits for a family-favorite cobbler everyone will enjoy.
For the Cinnamon-Sugar Biscuits
¥ 3 cups all-purpose flour ¥ 1/3 cup plus 3 tablespoons firmly packed light-brown sugar ¥ 4 tablespoons baking powder ¥ 1 teaspoon salt ¥ 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces, plus 1 tablespoon melted unsalted butter, plus additional butter for buttering baking pan ¥ 1 1/2 cups heavy cream ¥ 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
For the Peach Filling
¥ 6 cups peeled, sliced ripe peaches ¥ 1/4 cup sugar (depending on the sweetness of the peaches) ¥ 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 2-quart rectangular baking dish.
2. To make the cinnamon-sugar biscuits, sift together the flour, 1/3 cup brown sugar, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl. Cut in the butter using a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in the heavy cream.
3. When the dough begins to come together, turn it out onto a lightly floured board and knead it gently with your hands. Pat the dough into a 12-inch-by-9-inch rectangle. (If the dough is still very sticky at this point, knead in additional flour until the dough is smooth to the touch but not dry.)
4. In a small bowl, combine the 3 tablespoons brown sugar and the cinnamon. Using a pastry brush, brush the melted butter over the dough and sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar mixture evenly over the dough. Beginning from one of the short sides of the rectangle, roll the dough up into a cylinder, sealing the edge. Using a sharp knife, cut the cylinder into six two-inch slices. Transfer the cinnamon-sugar biscuits to a baking sheet and refrigerate until ready to bake.
5. To make the peach filling, place the peach slices in the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the fruit with the sugar and dot with the butter. Arrange the cinnamon-sugar biscuits, cut side down, on top of the peach slices. Place the baking pan in the oven, and bake for about 25 to 30 minutes, or until the tops of the cinnamon-sugar biscuits are light golden brown. Remove from the oven to a wire rack. Serve either warm or at room temperature.
Corn Fritters
Makes about 14 four-Inch fritters
¥ 3 ears corn (about 3 cups kernels) ¥ 1 large egg, separated, plus 1 large egg white ¥ 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour ¥ 2 teaspoons granulated sugar ¥ 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt ¥ 1/2 teaspoon pepper ¥ 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
1. Using a serrated knife, cut the kernels from the corn into a medium mixing bowl. Using the dull side of the knife, gently scrape the milk and pulp from the cobs into the bowl. Add the egg yolk, flour, sugar, salt and pepper and stir together.
2. In a clean glass bowl, whisk together the egg whites until the egg whites are slightly stiff but not dry. With a rubber spatula, gently fold the egg whites into the corn mixture.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.
4. Drop about 1 tablespoon of batter per fritter into the oil. Space the fritters several inches apart to allow for even cooking. Cook until the fritters are golden on the bottom, about 2 to 3 minutes. Turn over using a spatula, and cook until golden brown on the other side, about 2 to 3 minutes more. Repeat with remaining batter and use the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil for the pan. Serve immediately.
Zucchini Bread
This bread is sweet, dense and very moist. Makes 2 Loaves
¥ 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, for buttering pan ¥ 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pan ¥ 1 teaspoon salt ¥ 1 teaspoon baking soda ¥ 1 teaspoon baking powder ¥ 1 teaspoon cinnamon ¥ 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg ¥ 3 large eggs ¥ 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar ¥ 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract ¥ 1 cup vegetable oil ¥ 2 cups grated zucchini ¥ 1 cup raisins ¥ 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Butter and flour two 9-inch loaf pans. Set the pans aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg. Set the mixture aside.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the eggs on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the sugar and beat to combine, about 3 minutes. Add the vanilla extract, vegetable oil and grated zucchini, and beat just until combined. On low speed, gradually mix in the dry ingredients until just combined. Do not over beat. Fold the raisins and chopped walnuts by hand into the batter.
4. Divide the batter evenly among the loaf pans. Bake for approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of each loaf comes out clean. After baking, remove the pans from the oven and transfer to a wire rack. Let cool before removing the bread from the pans.
Pork Chops with Apples and Sauted Cabbage
Makes 6 Servings
Pork and apples are a classic fall combination. In this recipe, apple cider makes a rich caramelized glaze for the cooked apples and pork chops.
¥ 1 tablespoon olive oil ¥ 6 boneless pork chops, 1 inch thick ¥ Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper ¥ 12 sprigs fresh thyme, plus more for garnish ¥ 1 tablespoon unsalted butter ¥ 1/2 cup apple cider ¥ 1 tablespoon apple-cider vinegar ¥ 3 tart cooking apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1/4-inch slices ¥ Sauted Cabbage, for serving
1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the pork chops with salt and pepper. Place two thyme springs on each pork chop and add the chops to the skillet. Saut until the pork is browned on each side, about 3 to 5 minutes per side.
2. Add the butter to the skillet. Reduce the heat to medium. Cover, and continue to cook until the center of the pork chops is no longer pink, about 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer the meat to a heated platter and cover to keep the meat warm.
3. Deglaze the pan with the apple cider and allow the cider to reduce by half, about 3 to 4 minutes, over medium heat. Stir in the vinegar and reduce the mixture 1 minute more. Add the apples; cook until the apples become golden and tender, about 8 to 10 minutes. Stir well to coat the apples with the caramelized glaze. Place the cabbage on a heated platter with the pork chops and top with the apple slices and the glaze. Garnish with thyme sprigs and serve immediately.
Sauted Cabbage
Makes 6 Servings
¥ 1 tablespoon unsalted butter ¥ 1/2 medium head cabbage, cored and thinly sliced ¥ 1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds ¥ 1/2 cup apple cider ¥ 1 tablespoon apple-cider vinegar ¥ Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
1. Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the cabbage and cook for about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the caraway seeds and the apple cider; bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and let the cabbage simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 15 to 20 minutes.
2. Add the vinegar; cook for 1 minute more. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve the cabbage with the pork chops and apples (recipe above).
Cherry Tomato Salad
(Pictured on page 62) All that’s needed to enhance the tomatoes in this saladc is a sprinkling of fresh basil and Parmesan cheese and a drizzling of olive oil.
Serves 4
¥ 1 pint ripe cherry or grape tomatoes ¥ 1 bunch fresh basil leaves ¥ Extra-virgin olive oil ¥ Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Place about one dozen cherry tomatoes on each of four serving plates. Using your fingers, tear up the basil leaves and lightly sprinkle the torn leaves over the tomatoes. Drizzle the tomatoes with olive oil and sprinkle with a handful of Parmesan cheese.
Serve immediately.
