Recipe: Smooth & Creamy Root Vegetable Soup

They go together like....carrots & parsnips?  This perfect pairing is packed with earthy fall flavors and healthy antioxidants - plus it's super simple and simply delicious! With just a few simple ingredients, you can make a creamy and tasty fall soup that goes great on the side with a fall veggie salad or sandwich.

Smooth & Creamy Root Vegetable Soup
(Serves 2-4.)

(Image courtesy of tiramisustudio at FreeDigitalPhotos.net.)

Ingredients:

3 medium size carrots
3 medium size parsnips
6 cups vegetable broth
kosher salt and black pepper to taste
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/4 tsp marjoram or 1/4 tsp thyme

Directions:

• Peel and dice the carrots and parsnips, then put in a big soup pot with the vegetable broth; add salt and pepper to taste.
• Turn heat to medium-high and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer gently for 15 to 20 minutes or until vegetables are very tender.
• Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
• Ladle the mixture from the pot into a blender and puree until smooth. Add only enough cooking liquid as you need to make the soup a nice consistency, to your liking. Return the puree to a soup pot, stir in the lemon juice and herbs, then put over low heat and bring back up to temperature and serve hot.

Recipe: Smoky Hot Vinaigrette Wilted Spinach Salad

This time of year is my absolute favorite when it comes to cooking! In most parts of the country, you can still find tons of goodies in the garden or at the farmer's market, and it's cool enough to cook some nice, hearty fall meals.

This week, we're focusing on fall - whether it's a hot spinach salad, pizza with fresh-from-the-garden toppings, or tasty chicken chili - hit up the farmer's market, as we've got your fall menu for the week right here!

Smoky Hot Vinaigrette Wilted Spinach Salad
(Serves 4-6.)

Ingredients:

12 ounces fresh spinach
1/2 cup thinly sliced shallot
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp sliced almonds
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
1/3 cup chicken broth or vegetable broth
1/4 cup chopped black olives
optional: crisp bacon and chopped hard-cooked eggs

Directions:

• Rinse spinach and thoroughly dry it, then place in a large heat-resistant salad bowl.
• In a large skillet over medium heat, put the shallots, red wine vinegar, and oil and cook, stirring, until the liquid in the skillet is reduced down by a little more than half.
• Then add in the almonds and paprika, stir and cook about 1 minute.
• Stir in the broth and olives and bring to a simmer, and cook for about 1 minute until totally hot and flavors combined. 
• Remove from heat and immediately pour the dressing out of the skillet over the spinach and toss quickly until spinach is slightly wilted.
• Serve immediately.
• If desired, sprinkle crisp bacon and chopped hard-cooked eggs over salad.

Recipe: Golden Rum Molasses Apple Compote

This perfect fall dessert recipe makes a warm, light, end to an autumn evening meal, filled with the fragrances of fall. Apples and spices pair with rum and butter to to bring all the flavors of the season to your plate. Try this one with fresh apples from the farmer's market, or pick them yourself!

Golden Rum Molasses Apple Compote

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp light rum
3 apples, peeled, cored, and coarsely chopped
2 Tbsp molasses
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp allspice
dash of grated fresh nutmeg
pinch of kosher salt

Directions:

• Put the ingredients in a large saucepan; stir to combine.
• Place saucepan on low heat, set the pan cover on, tipping slightly to allow some steam to escape.
• Simmer very slowly for about 20 to 30 minutes or until the apples are tender, stirring a few times while cooking.
• Serve over rich vanilla ice cream in small dessert bowls or in the bowl with a dollop of whipped cream.

Recipe: Old Fashioned Harvest Root Vegetable Pot Roast

Nothing says fall like a hearty pot roast with lots of fall veggies! This one has carrots, red potatoes, turnips, onions, and parsnips, along with tender beef which makes lots of great gravy. It's making me hungry just thinking about it!

Old Fashioned Harvest Root Vegetable Pot Roast

Ingredients:

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

2 Tbsp oil
1 beef chuck roast
1 small onion, peeled and thinly sliced
1 Tbsp chopped rosemary
2 bay leaves
1 cup dry red wine
4 cups beef stock
2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp fresh black pepper
8 small red potatoes, halved
1 yellow onion, peeled, quartered
4 carrots, peeled, coarse cut
2 small turnips, peeled, quartered
2 small parsnips, peeled, coarse cut
1 tsp chopped fresh dill
2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

• Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.
• In a large Dutch oven or other oven-safe big pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat.
• When hot, add the beef chuck roast and cook on both sides until browned very well.
• Remove the beef from the Dutch oven and set aside.
• Add the onion, rosemary, bay leaves, and rosemary to the Dutch oven and cook over medium-high heat, stirring, for about 2 to 3 minutes or until herbs are fragrant.
• With the heat still on, pour the wine in the Dutch oven and stir, loosening the brown bits.  Continue cooking and stirring until the liquid thickens and reduces.
• Pour in the beef stock and Worcestershire sauce and bring back to a simmer.
• Add the black pepper, then lay the roast in the Dutch oven and put the cover on.
• Put the Dutch oven in the oven and cook for 1 1/2 hours.
• Remove and add the potatoes, onion, carrots, turnips, and parsnips; put cover back on and return to oven and continue cooking for 30 minutes more, or until the veggies are fork tender.
• To serve: Remove the beef roast and vegetables from the Dutch oven and set aside, covering to keep warm.
• To the Dutch oven, add the dill and parsley, taste and add more salt and pepper if desired.
• Serve plates with meat, vegetables alongside, and spoon the sauce from the Dutch oven over everything.

Fall Cookbooks for Cooking Fall Favorites From Scratch

We may have our first frost tonight, the leaves are gold and red, and the wind is nippy - there's no doubt that fall is here - and with it, my favorite season for cooking! With late-summer veggies still plentiful, and fall favorites available in the garden or at the farmer's market, there is plenty to choose from when making hearty fall recipes to keep you warm at night. Here are several autumn-inspired cookbooks to give you some great ideas for your fall cooking.

Homemade Harvest
~ Gooseberry Patch ~

This is a collection of some of the best seasonal recipes you'll find anywhere. You'll find delicious recipes perfect for tailgating and other Fall family fun as the summer season comes to a close. This book includes hearty home favorites to make the most of Autumn's harvest flavors. Cooking and decorating tips are a welcome plus to this book, with some great ideas for homemade crafts to go along with this warm, welcoming season.



Cooking from the Farmers' Market
~ Jodi Liano, Tasha De Serio, Jennifer Maiser ~

This book from Williams-Sonoma features 245 recipes to create foods using fresh produce and vegetables straight from the Farmer's Market. Shopping at these down-home businesses is a national obsession, and the fresh-picked goodness translates into great-tasting recipes you can share with family and friends all year.


Fall Harvests: Menus & Recipes That Celebrate Autumn's Bounty
~ Martha Phelps Stamps, Meryl Truett ~

This book takes you through the fall and winter months with lots of delicious recipes collected by a veteran Southern cooking author. Within the 176 pages of recipes you'll find treasures like Refried October Beans, Chicken and Apple Sausage with Ginger, Garlic, and Mint, and a delightful Roast Acorn Squash with Maple. This is a book written for the home cook who desires simple, delicious meals made with the freshest ingredients from farmer's markets and home gardens.

Local Flavors: Cooking and Eating from America's Farmers' Markets
~ Deborah Madison ~

This book reflects the public's concern for organic produce grown locally. Our desire to avoid over-processed foods is reflected in this 400 page book dedicated to market-fresh ingredients. You'll learn how to make the most of everything from crucifers, roots, berries, dairy products, cabbages, and so much more. This is a richly illustrated collection of seasonal recipes that highlights the wonders of local produce grown from coast to coast.

You can find these books at your local library, or just click the links above to buy on Amazon.com.

Recipe: Spiced Maple Glazed Pork With Roasted Sweet Potatoes And Pears

This is a perfect fall recipe! The autumnal flavors of sweet potatoes, pears, and maple combine with spices to make sweet and spicy magic in this hearty roast - perfect for a cool fall evening, or dinner party with guests.

Spiced Maple Glazed Pork Roast With Roasted Sweet Potatoes And Pears
(Serves 8-10.)

Ingredients:

1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 pork shoulder roast (about 6 to 7 lbs)
4 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 cup water
2 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
2 large firm pears, peeled, cored, and quartered

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Mix together the salt, pepper, and cinnamon, then gently rub this mixture over the pork roast; then put in a large roasting pan, fat side up, and roast for about 2 hours or until the fat is golden brown.
• To make glaze:  Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, then add the maple syrup, brown sugar, cloves, nutmeg, and water, stir and bring to a boil, then immediately remove from the burner.
• Put the sweet potatoes and pears in a large bowl, pour half the maple syrup mixture over them and toss until coated well.
• When pork roast is done, remove the roast from the oven and arrange the sweet potatoes and pears around the pork roast. 
• Carefully drizzle the remaining maple syrup mixture on the pork, coating the top and sides of the pork roast - use a brush if that works better.
• Return the roast to the oven and cook an additional 1 hour.
• After the 1 hour, increase the oven temperature to 425 and continue to cook until the pork reaches 165 degrees with a meat thermometer and the vegetables are fork tender, about 30 to 40 minutes, a bit more or less.
• Remove the roasting pan from the oven and transfer the pork to a cutting board, cover loosely with foil and let rest 8 to 10 minutes before slicing to serve. Spoon sweet potatoes and pears on each plate with pork, and spoon sauce from roasting pan over all.