Autumn Foods

Fall happens to be my favorite season. Not only is it stunning here on the East Coast, but foods get warmer, thicker, and heartier.
Here's what I'm looking forward to:







Apples
Nothing says Fall to me more than apple picking. Of course nothing makes me happier afterward than making yumminess out of said picked apples. Apple Pie, Apple Sauce, Apple Butter... just to name a few. Of course there will be recipes and pics as soon as I make them.

Pears
Pears are apple's snobby cousin and I love them for it. Sure you can make Pie and sauce and butter out of them too, but what you really want to do is Poach them, Tart them, and place them on a lovely tray with some good strong cheeses!

Thanksgiving
My FAVORITE holiday, and not just because it has amazing food. Thanksgiving is one of those rare times of the year when people really do come together. No one is left behind on Thanksgiving, there's always another chair at the table, another place to squeeze in, another friend or family's meal to crash. That being said, what’s better than turkey, stuffing, and pecan pie??? That's right, not a hell of a lot.

Stew
I love a good stew -- beef, rabbit, fish, whatever it is, it always feels like love and warmth. I have to admit, I have yet to find that perfect Beef Stew recipe, so if anyone has one they're willing to share...

Coq au Vin
Oh the glory that is a good Coq Au Vin. Classically this is made with an old rooster, but since it’s a real chore to find a rooster, let alone an old one, chicken has to do. Chicken is actually a summer meat, that's when they were slaughtered, having been fattened up all winter. However, old rooster was slaughtered as the weather got colder, since you guessed it, they were older. So technically this is a fall dish, and the heartiness created by the bacon and wine doesn't hurt either (Coq au Vin literally means = Cock in Wine). The recipe is in the next post -- pics to come as soon as it's cool enough to make.

Hot Tea
I know everyone says hot tea cools you down in the summer, but I can't get my head around it. So come fall I'll be drinking my tea hot again, what a joy!

Sleep
Although not a food, a worthy addition:
I always sleep better come fall and winter. Sleeping with out the AC or fan is such a joy! Just an open window, a blanket, and the man you love.

Coq au Vin

4 Chicken Thighs (skin on)
4 Chicken Legs (skin on)
**personally, I prefer thighs, so I usually put more thighs than legs
2 Cups rich red wine
**like Cabernet Sauvignon, but even a Malbec or Chianti would work
1/2 - 3/4 lb of slab bacon
**slab instead of sliced so you can cut it into cubes/chunks
1 Medium yellow onion, finely chopped
8 Garlic cloves, crushed or finely sliced
10 or so white pearl onions, peeled
**these will be cooked whole so try to get them not too small or too big, bite sized
1/2 lb Crimini mushrooms
**Baby Bella mushrooms are the same thing, white / button mushrooms work as well
3 Tbs flour
1 Tbs tomato paste
2 Tbs Cognac
**if you don't want to add cognac, you can use chicken or beef stock
3-4 dry bay leaves
6-7 Fresh Thyme sprigs
Salt & pepper
Olive oil
**maybe, depends on how much fat is rendered from the bacon

1. Put chicken and wine in a large bowl. Refrigerate overnight if you can, if not, at least 4-5 hours.

2. Preheat oven to 325. Remove the chicken from the wine and pat dry, but reserve the wine. Season the chicken with salt and pepper.

3. Cook the bacon on medium-low (very important to cook bacon at a low temp, there is so much fat in bacon that it burns very quickly) in a Dutch Oven or a heavy bottom pot with a lid (if no lid, then tin foil) that can be put in the oven. Cook until crispy but not burnt, about 20 minutes. Set aside the bacon (try not to nibble too much) and leave the drippings in the pot. You should have about 3 Tbs of fat, that’s just over a quarter cup. If it looks like less than that, add some olive oil. Reversely, if it looks like more than that, get rid of some – this is already a rich dish, you don’t want it oily too.

4. Raise the heat to medium-high, and working in batches, cook the chicken until the skin is golden about 6 minutes or so per side. Transfer to a plate. Add the chopped onion until translucent and then add the garlic for two or so minutes. Add the pearl onions and the mushrooms, and cook until browned, about 5-6 minutes. Stir in the flour and the tomato paste and cook another couple of minutes (this will make things a little thicker, if it seems like it’s getting too sticky lower the heat a bit, you don’t want things to burn). Now add the cognac and stir everything together for another minute or so.

5. Return the chicken and the bacon to the pot. Add the reserved wine and the herbs. Bring it all to a simmer, making sure to get all the bits that might have stuck to the bottom. Cover with the lid, and put it in the oven until all the veggies and the chicken is cooked. Depending on your stove and the pot, this could take anywhere from 45 minutes to just over an hour.

6. When you take it out of the oven, throw away the herbs, and skim the top of any access oil. If there is a lot of oil that need skimming, then you probably didn’t need that extra olive oil, or didn’t remove enough bacon fat. Serve it hot in its cooking pot.

**By the way, this tastes even better the day after. If you can stand it, cook this the day before, refrigerate, and re-heat on the stove. If it’s gotten really thick, add a 1/4 – ½ cup of low sodium chicken or vegetable stock to loosen everything while re-heating on low heat and covered.